Eternally Linked By Love And Hate
by lost in dreams
Summary: COMPLETE...Hermione is in love with 3 people...she must figure out who she truly loves...but what happens when there are secrets, threats, kidnapping, and even death? One must make an ultimate sacrifice...
1. New Beginnings

_**Disclaimer:** Credit goes to JK Rowling...(and a few other companies, people, etc. who probably own a little bit of The Boy Who Lived...) _

_**A/N:** This was my first fanfic **EVER**. I wrote this about two years ago, WAAAAY before OOTP, so there are a lot of things that won't fit in with canon. My writing was horrible, and I switched back and forth between plot lines...but I still think this is a pretty darn good story. However, it is the only thing I have EVER completed in all the fanfics I've ever tried to write...so I thought I'd just post it online...It is a love triangle sort of thing...Hermione likes Harry, Ron, and there's some Draco in there too...so if you don't like this...then don't read it... Well, enjoy my **REALLY** old fanfic..._  
  
**_Chapter One - New Beginnings_**  
  
Harry woke up to rain slapping hard against his bedroom window. He turned over trying to go back to sleep when he suddenly realized...  
  
"It's September first!" He shrieked as he immediately sat up. Harry reached over to his bedside table and put on his glasses. He got up and opened up his closet. Harry saw his open trunk with all of his school books and supplies packed inside it along with his Firebolt and the invisibility cloak he had inherited from his father.  
  
He looked into the mirror on the back of his closet door. A 15 year old, tall, skinny, black haired, green eyed teenager looked back at him. He picked up his clothes and changed out of his pajamas. He heard a cough from the next room. He figured his Uncle Vernon had woken already. Harry pushed his hair out of his eyes and ran his fingers over the lightning bolt scar on his forehead.  
  
"This is the reason I'm even here in the first place," He thought to himself. "I wish Sirius could be proven innocent so I can get out of this hell-hole" Sirius was now hiding where Harry guessed was somewhere in France, Sirius had always said he wanted to visit France one day.  
  
Harry started to pack up all of his things into his trunk, mostly his birthday cards and presents.  
  
Harry picked up the huge box of candy that he had received from Ron. It contained everything from chocolate frogs to Bertie Botts' Every Flavor Jelly Beans. Harry had already eaten half of his candy. He pushed aside a few of his books and shoved the candy box down into his trunk. He then picked up the glass box that he had received from Hermione. Inside the box, on display, was the golden snitch that Viktor Krum had caught at the Quidditch World Cup only a year before. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had gone to that very eventful game, and somehow, Hermione managed to buy the snitch for Harry as a present. He put that down into his trunk also, and closed the lid.  
  
Harry made his way downstairs and into the kitchen. All three Dursley's were already awake and eating breakfast. They completely ignored Harry when he walked in...as usual. Harry made himself some toast and eggs and sat down at the table to eat.  
  
"What time must you be at King's Cross, boy?" Uncle Vernon growled, not looking up from his newspaper.  
  
"Before 11:00." Harry said through a full mouth of toast.  
  
"Well, we're going to drop you off at 9:00, so hurry up and eat boy, or we won't take you at all!" Uncle Vernon spat with vengeance. Harry didn't complain; he knew he would just have to sit there until his friends showed up. But it was either this, or walk; the Dursley's had been horrible that summer. And today, he was finally leaving...  
  
........  
  
9:00 had come and gone, and Harry was left alone at King's Cross. Harry had already made his way through the barrier and the Hogwarts Express had already arrived at the station and a few students and their parents had also arrived. But Harry hadn't seen anyone he knew yet. He had gone ahead and put his trunk into Ron's, Hermione's, and his usual compartment.  
  
Since the rain was pouring down in sheets, Harry just waited in the booth, watching out the window. He leaned his head up against the foggy window, with his eyes heavy with tiredness and was about to fall asleep when he saw Ron and Hermione outside, saying goodbye to their parents.  
  
They made their way into their usual compartment. When Hermione saw Harry seated in the compartment, she dropped her bags and threw her arms around him.  
  
"Oh Harry! I've missed you so much! How are you doing?" Hermione squealed. Harry just patted her back awkwardly.  
  
"I missed you too Hermione. And I'm fine, thanks." Harry replied while trying to get out of her tight hold.  
  
When Hermione finally let go after what seemed an eternity, Ron and Harry just looked into each other's eyes. Last year had been particularly rough on them. They embraced each other like brothers.  
  
"Alright there Ron?" Harry asked.  
  
"Perfectly well, and better now." Ron smiled.  
  
A whistle blew from somewhere. The train lurched forward, and they were on their way to their fifth year at Hogwarts.  
  
"Man I can't believe that we're already at our fifth year!" Ron gasped.  
  
"I know..." Harry responded.  
  
"It's weird, knowing that's it has gone by so fast..." Hermione said dreamily.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione talked like this the whole train ride. They talked of summer trips and experiences; they talked of old memories, and new beginnings. ........ When they arrived at Hogwarts, they already knew exactly what to do and where to go. They picked out a carriage and braved the rain all the way up to Hogwarts grounds. They made their way into the Great Hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table, waiting for the first years to be sorted.  
  
So far, the year had been off to a great start. The first years were sorted and they were already eating dinner. Then Professor Dumbledore stood up to make a few announcements.  
  
"As you know, we have already appointed our new Head Boy and Girl." He proclaimed while pointing out the two seventh years. "And we have also appointed our new Prefects." At this, Hermione started squealing and smiled really big. She had only gotten her letter yesterday..."But now we need to appoint new Quidditch captains, and their players." At this, everyone got excited and very silent. "Quidditch captains must be in fourth year or higher. Classmates in your house will vote on who is to become Quidditch captain. The Quidditch captain will then recruit their own players. Your Head of House will accept any nominations for captains. Voting starts tonight and ends tomorrow morning, I will announce the elected captains at breakfast! So get your votes into your Head of House!" Dumbledore finished with a smile and winked at Harry. "Oh and yes, I wish to make a final announcement!" Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling. "Since last year's Yule Ball went so well, the teachers here at Hogwarts have decided to have an opening dance this year! It will be, this Friday, to celebrate the beginning of a new year!" Dumbledore caught Harry's eye and smiled at him again, then sat down and began to eat again.  
  
The hall was buzzing. Everyone was excited about having new Quidditch players and captains, but most people were eager about the Ball this Friday.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all walked back to the Gryffindor Common Room and sat down in their usual chairs by the fire.  
  
"So...Harry?" Ron began, "So do you want to be nominated for Quidditch captain because I'd surely vote for you!" Harry was up to the job.  
  
"Of course!" He replied.  
  
So Ron went to McGonagall and nominated Harry. That night, many students kept coming up to Harry saying that they voted for him to be Quidditch captain. Everyone was cheerful about the beginning of the year, the upcoming Ball, and the new Quidditch captains. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. So for the rest of the night, everyone talked peacefully about the upcoming events. Finally, after much talk and many games of chess, Harry, Ron, and Hermione said their goodnights and went to bed.  
  
Harry couldn't sleep. He was worried about two things: If he would be voted Quidditch captain, and if Hermione would go with him to the dance. Harry never looked over to see the time, but he knew it was very late into the night. He stayed up wondering, and thinking, until he finally dozed off...  
  
........  
  
**_A/N:_** _Please Review!_


	2. Exchange Of Words

_**Disclaimer:** Credit goes to JK Rowling...(and a few other companies, people, etc. who probably own a little bit of The Boy Who Lived...) _

_**A/N:** This was my first fanfic EVER. I wrote this about two years ago, WAAAAY before OOTP, so there are a lot of things that won't fit in with canon. My writing was horrible, and I switched back and forth between plot lines...but I still think this is a pretty darn good story. However, it is the only thing I have EVER completed in all the fanfics I've ever tried to write...so I thought I'd just post it online...It is a love triangle sort of thing...Hermione likes Harry, Ron, and there's some Draco in there too...so if you don't like this...then don't read it... Well, enjoy my REALLY old fanfic..._  
  
_**Chapter Two - Exchange Of Words**_

"Harry! Harry! Wake up!"  
  
Someone was sitting on his bed and shaking him.  
  
"Harry! Oh...come on! Dumbledore's about to announce the new Quidditch captains! And he also said he had an important message for everyone to know about the Ball! Harry! Come on, rise and shine!"  
  
Harry opened his eyes but it was all blurry, he didn't have his glasses on. He was still very groggy. "Ron...I'll be down in a bit." He groaned.  
  
The person laughed at him. "No silly, I'm not Ron, it's me! Hermione..." she giggled.  
  
Harry sat up immediately. "What are you doing in here?"  
  
"Oh...just waking you up...I'll leave now that you're awake," Hermione got up to leave  
  
"No, wait!" Harry blurted.  
  
"Hmm..?"  
  
Harry didn't know why he said that. So he had to make up something real fast.  
  
"Um...I can't find my glasses, can you get them for me?" He began. Hermione just looked at him weird, walked over and got his glasses. She sat down on his bed and put them on his face. She smiled at him.  
  
"Thanks." Harry said, smiling back but feeling rather stupid. Hermione left him to get dressed. They walked down to the Great Hall together, both were very nervous.  
  
When they walked into the Great Hall, Harry noticed that the whole school was already packed into the Great Hall anxiously awaiting the news on who are the new Quidditch captains. Harry and Hermione sat down at their usual spots at the Gryffindor table. After about ten minutes Dumbledore finally stood up, the Hall was dead silent.  
  
"I see that you are all ready to hear the good news! Well, here goes!" Dumbledore looked very excited. "The Quidditch captain for Hufflepuff is: Justin Finch-Fletchly!" Light applause came from the Hufflepuff table, and there were many boos. Apparently, Justin wasn't who most people wanted to be captain.  
  
"Yes, Yes, very good Mr. Finch-Fletchly" Dumbledore said with a sharp look at the Hufflepuffs. "But now, the Quidditch captain for Ravenclaw is: Cho Chang!" Many cheers came from the Ravenclaw table. Harry looked over at the table and saw Cho's exuberant face alive with joyfulness; he couldn't help himself but think that she was very gorgeous indeed.  
  
"And now, the Quidditch captain for Slytherin is: Draco Malfoy!" Harry, Ron, and Hermione had never felt more sick about the sight of seeing Draco's fellow housemates congratulate him on becoming captain.  
  
"And finally, if I may announce the Quidditch captain for Gryffindor...." Dumbledore began, his eyes flashing in Harry's direction. Ron and Hermione crossed their fingers under the table. Harry closed his eyes, expecting to hear someone else's name. But then Dumbledore spoke, "Harry Potter!" Thunderous applause erupted from the Hall, most of which came from the Gryffindor table. Ron and Hermione, and everyone else at the Gryffindor table jumped up and started to congratulate Harry. Even though everyone's ears were ringing from the sudden ovation, each and every one of the Slytherin students made their boos, hisses, and jeers heard too.  
  
"Yes...I congratulate all four of you who have had the distinct honor of becoming a Hogwarts Quidditch captain! Starting next week, each captain will start recruiting players for their teams!" Dumbledore had never looked more thrilled in his life. "But now I must make an announcement that will affect every student in this school and not just four." The hall went dead silent yet again. Everyone had their direct attention on Dumbledore and Dumbledore alone.  
  
"As you very well know, there will be an opening dance this Friday. And that is in just two days! Well, It was Professor Trelawney who informed me that she has...erm...seen the fates of the Orb that the girls will ask the boys as dates to the Ball! So I have decided, with great pleasure if I might add that the ladies will have to ask the gentlemen to the Ball if they want dates!" Dumbledore sat down and started to eat again.  
  
All the boys in the Hall were relived, yet all the girls in the hall were outraged. They didn't want to be the ones to worry about asking guys to the dance.  
  
"So Hermione," Ron said as he stuffed a piece of bread into his mouth, "Who are you gonna ask to the Ball?" Harry looked up from his food real fast to hear Hermione's response.  
  
Hermione looked frazzled and confused. "I dunno Ron, I really dunno."

That day, they all went to their first day of classes. And their teacher's had already given them homework.  
  
"We have to predict what will happen every day for the next two months?!" Ron groaned as he and Harry were walking back from Divinitation, their last class of the day. They met up with Hermione outside of her Arithmancy class and walked up to the Common Room together.  
  
Hermione left Harry and Ron alone to talk and she went over to speak with Ginny.  
  
"So Ginny, are you asking anyone to the dance?" she asked quietly.  
  
Ginny looked embarrased. "You know who I would like to ask...but...he'd day no." She looked away.  
  
"Oh...Harry, right?" Hermione whispered. Ginny just nodded her head.  
  
"Not to be rude, but I don't feel like talking about this and..." she yawned, "I'm tired, I'm going to bed. G'night, Hermione." She left for the girl's dormitories.  
  
Hermione was very confused. She was very good friends with Ginny but she also really liked Harry. Tomorrow was the last full day left before the Ball and she would have to ask someone that day, or not get a date at all. Then suddenly, as if someone had turned on a light switch in her head, an idea came to her. She got up and ran over to Ron.  
  
"Hey, Ron. We gotta talk." Hermione panted, completely ignoring the fact that Harry was sitting next to Ron.  
  
"Ok, what?" Ron answered.  
  
She sat down next to him and thought for a moment. "Nevermind." She replied after a long while.  
  
"Well, there's something I gotta ask you anyways." Ron began.  
  
"Um, ok..." Hermione responded.  
  
"Ok, well...er...don't take this the wrong way or anything but...well..." Ron stuttered.  
  
"Yes...?"  
  
"Since the girls have to ask the guys to the ball, but....um...er...since I...I...I..." Ron faltered. Harry felt very hurt because he knew where Ron was getting at, and what made it worse, Ron knew that Harry was completely head over heels for Hermione, because they had been talking about it just a minute earlier.  
  
Ron got the courage to talk again. "Well, if you don't find a date by tomorrow night...will you go to the ball with...?"  
  
Hermione interrupted. "Ok, it's a deal!" Hermione answered excitedly, looking at Harry and winking. "If I don't find another date, then sure I'll go to the ball with you, Ron!" She smiled and walked to her usual chair by the fire, to start on some homework."B...bu...but...I didn't mean me...I meant...Harry..." Ron muttered. Harry just gave Ron one of those "what did you do that for?" looks and just sat there sulking in his chair.  
  
"Oh, Harry, cheer up..." Ron said. "It's not like I am her date or anything, just her last resort..." Ron felt horrible about what happened.  
  
"Oh yeah, thanks Ron, that makes me feel so much better!" Harry spat. "You knew I liked her...wait...loved her!"  
  
"It's not my fault she took it the wrong way..." Ron retorted.  
  
"Yeah but you could have said something!" Harry grumbled.  
  
"I did, remember? She just walked off!"  
  
"Well then it's a little too late now don't you think?" Harry was getting very angry; he was almost at the point of tears. Ron was also getting very annoyed with how Harry was handling the situation, he was fuming with rage. Ron stood up real fast, knocking over the chess set sitting on the table in front of him. Everyone in the Common Room spun around to see what was going on.  
  
"Gosh you always get your way don't you, Harry?" Ron yelled. "Well I'm sorry Mr. Potter, that you didn't get your way this time! Famous Harry Potter gets everything famous Harry Potter wants! You always get the attention and all you care about is yourself! All I ever hear come out of that inconsiderate hole on that face of yours is 'me, me, me, me, and me!' What ever happened to the carefree Harry that I once knew and was best friends with? Why don't you ever think of others and not just yourself? Huh? Tell me, c'mon, I can handle the truth!" Ron was breathing really hard.  
  
Harry just kind of sat there in stunned silence. Everyone in the Common Room was staring at them mutely, and a few people from the dorms had walked down to see what was going on. Ron started to walk off when Harry got up and started shouting back at him.  
  
"You don't even understand the half of it, Ron! All the...the...the shit I have to go through every single day. The nightmares, the crazy thoughts, the pressure, the attention, the pain, the loneliness! I'm surrounded by the people who I love the most, but in reality, I'm all alone! No one understands how it feels to be a celebrity who is a half- blood orphan who everyone looks up to and is constantly being sought after by the most powerful dark wizard of all time! No one understands being haunted by the agonizing memories that I have in my past. Sure, sometimes I can be a little selfish, but who isn't? I've made my fair share of mistakes, but you're no pea in the pod either, Ron! I'm sorry if I got a little upset over the one I love more than anything else, I'm sorry if I overreacted, but that doesn't mean my best friend has to blow up in my face and make me feel horrible! If this was all about my fame...which by the way, I don't want...then why didn't you just tell me? What made you feel you couldn't trust me in the first place? God if all you want to be is famous, then go ahead, get yourself a scar so everyone can gawk at you and you can be famous, it's nothing special! If that's what you want, then don't bug me about it! It's not my fault Voldemort tried to kill me!" Everyone in the Common Room flinched at the sound of You-Know-Who's name. Harry just ignored it and went on. "God, if I knew you would be a jerk like this, then I would have never been your friend in the first place!" Harry was gasping for air at the end of his speech. His face was a bright red, almost like the color Ron's hair.  
  
Ron just stomped off to the boy's dormitories without saying another word. Harry sat back down in his chair, taking no notice of the people staring at him. Hermione, who had been doing homework, very happily, in her chair, slowly got up and walked over to Harry, she sat down next to him.  
  
"Are you ok?" She asked with a frown.  
  
"Well it was a bit unexpected, but yeah, I'm fine." Harry responded soberly. Hermione just sat there twiddling with her thumbs like she always does when she's nervous. She sat with Harry in silence until people stopped staring at her and Harry. She wanted so badly to ask what Harry was talking about when he said "the one I love more than anything else," but she decided not to ask him. She knew he didn't want to talk about it.  
  
Harry just sat there the rest of the night, doing his homework or more like thinking, but acting like he was doing his homework. Even after the Common Room was completely emptied of students, he still sat up all night thinking...thinking about Hermione...  
  
........  
  
_**A/N:** Please Review!_


	3. Are You Ticklish?

_**Disclaimer:** Credit goes to JK Rowling...(and a few other companies, people, etc. who probably own a little bit of The Boy Who Lived...) _

_**A/N:** This was my first fanfic **EVER.** I wrote this about two years ago, WAAAAY before OOTP, so there are a lot of things that won't fit in with canon. My writing was horrible, and I switched back and forth between plot lines...but I still think this is a pretty darn good story. However, it is the only thing I have EVER completed in all the fanfics I've ever tried to write...so I thought I'd just post it online...It is a love triangle sort of thing...Hermione likes Harry, Ron, and there's some Draco in there too...so if you don't like this...then don't read it... Well, enjoy my **REALLY** old fanfic..._

**_Chapter Three - Are You Ticklish?_**  
  
Hermione was the first one in all of Gryffindor up that morning. When she walked down the girl's dormitories steps, she saw Harry, fast asleep by the fire with his head on a book. She tiptoed over to him and sat down on the couch he was lying on.  
  
"Harry?" She asked as she shook him. "It's me Harry, wake up..." She said soothingly. Hermione lifted up his head, which was stuck to the paper he had his head on. She loosened the paper from his forehead and looked at it. It was a letter addressed to her! She glanced at it and knew immediately it was not finished. But what it had said...  
  
_Hermione,_

_I'm very sorry about what happened last night and I know you're confused. I'm really sorry. I'm just going through a rough time right now and I need you to be here for me. Apparently Ron has decided to desert me...again, but just promise me, Hermione, that you won't do the same. I wish I could tell you what I meant when I said some of that stuff to Ron last night but, it just pains me that...  
_  
Hermione was now even more confused. "It pains him that...what?" She thought to herself. She just sat the paper down on the table and got up. She left Harry there to sleep some more and went down to the Great Hall to eat an early breakfast. As she walked into the Great Hall, she noticed a small group of Slytherins, all huddled in a group, pointing and laughing at her. She saw that Draco Malfoy was not part of this group. She walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down all by herself, eating. She took out a notebook and started writing in it.  
  
_Dear Diary,  
Today is the last day before the Ball. I still must ask someone otherwise I won't have a date at all! Well, I did take Ron as a last resort, in case nobody else will go with me, but I really don't want to go with him. There's only one person I wish I could go with...but Ginny likes him and Ginny is one of my best friends!  
_  
She paused to think. She looked over at the surrounding tables which were almost completely bare of students. She looked over at the Slytherin table and saw Draco Malfoy staring straight at her. She blinked to make sure she wasn't imagining things. She turned around to see if anyone was behind her...no one was. When she turned back to Malfoy, he was gone. She blinked hard this time, making sure she wasn't hallucinating. She began writing again.  
  
_Well, now that I think about it, there is one other person besides Harry that I would really enjoy going to the dance with. But...I can't possibly like him. It's impossible! I can't believe I'm about to say this but I'm, hoping that Draco Malfoy will go to the ball with me. I know it's outrageous but...I don't know how to put it in words...  
_  
She put her quill down and started to eat. She didn't know what else to write. Then suddenly, someone put their hand on Hermione's shoulder and sat down next to her.  
  
"Hello Hermione." A warm voice said politely. Hermione looked up to see who it was.  
  
"Malfoy?!" She heard herself mutter in a disbelieving voice.  
  
"Wha...wha...what are you doing here?"  
  
........  
  
Harry woke up to Crookshanks purring on his lap. Harry lifted his head up off the chess board on the table in front of him. He looked at the chess board and there was a wet spot on it. He chuckled; Harry had been drooling on the table. That's when he spotted Crookshanks, about to lay down in the warmth of the sunlight on the windowsill. Harry walked over to pet him. As he was petting Crookshanks, he sat down on the windowsill, looking out on the lake. The Gryffindor tower had a great view of the Hogwarts grounds. As Harry leaned his head against the window, his glasses askew, he saw a very disturbing sight. Hermione sitting on a rock over the lake, talking to someone, and she seemed to be thoroughly enjoying her conversation. Even from the Gryffindor tower it was obvious that she was laughing and smiling. But what was disturbing...she was talking to none other than Draco Malfoy.  
  
At that moment, Ron came bursting out of the boys dorms and running down the stairs. He saw Harry looking out the window.  
  
"Harry! Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Ron shrieked forgetting all dignity and the fact that him and Harry were in a fight.  
  
"What...Hermione?" Harry interrogated.  
  
"Yes! C'mon!" Ron exclaimed, grabbing Harry's arm.  
  
They ran down seven flights of stairs to get to the Entrance Hall; Ron was still in his striped high-water pajamas. They burst out of the front doors and sprinted across the grounds towards Hermione and Draco.  
  
"Hermione!" Harry and Ron bellowed. Hermione and Draco turned around, looking confused.  
  
"Yes?" Hermione asked calmly when Harry and Ron had arrived at the spot where they were sitting. Draco was throwing rocks into the lake.  
  
"What ARE you doing?!" Ron shrieked.  
  
"What are you talking about, Ron?" Hermione didn't seem to understand what the matter was. Even though she was having a conversation with their biggest enemy who has done some pretty horrible things to all three of them.  
  
"What are you doing with...with...him!" Harry roared, shaking his finger at Malfoy.  
  
"What about me, Potter?" came Malfoy's cold, drawling voice.  
  
"What are you doing with Hermione?" Ron said angrily.  
  
"Absolutely nothi..." Malfoy began.  
  
"Hush, Draco." Hermione interrupted.  
  
Everyone went silent at this remark. Finally Harry grabbed Hermione's arm. "C'mon, Herm, let's get outta here." Harry mumbled, lifting her up.  
  
"Har...Har...Harry...let go of me!" Hermione stuttered and tried to pull away, but his grip was too tight, he was pulling her away across the grounds, Ron following behind them. Hermione looked back at Draco and shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"I'll see you later..." she mouthed at him.  
  
"Meet me here at six tonight!" Draco mouthed back. Hermione nodded her head.  
  
........  
  
When the three of them got back to Gryffindor Tower, Harry and Ron had remembered their fight and the fact that they were not on speaking terms with each other. Ron had gone up to the boy's dormitories to change clothes, while Harry was sitting furious on the couch next to Hermione. They weren't speaking either...  
  
"Harry, why did you do that?" Hermione asked  
  
"Why were you talking to him?" Harry retorted.  
  
"Well if you must know...he was being polite and very respectful to me. Just because you hate him doesn't mean I have to hate him too ya know..." Hermione said in a very matter-of-factly way. Harry just sat sulking on the couch until Ron came down into the Common Room.  
  
When Ron came downstairs, Harry coughed real loud and started to "read" a book. Ron just told Hermione that he would be down at the Great Hall eating.  
  
"Harry, look, if it makes you feel so horrible..." Hermione began.  
  
"About what?" Harry interrupted.  
  
"Me talking to Malfoy...I won't talk to him again since you feel so horrible about it. I respect you and I don't want to lose you..." Hermione responded. "...as a friend..." she added quickly.  
  
"Look, its ok, really." Harry said, putting the book he was "reading" on the table in front of them.  
  
They didn't speak much again, and Hermione was deep in thought. She knew she couldn't keep her promise not to talk to Drac--Malfoy...again. She wanted to talk to him so badly...  
  
Harry looked over at Hermione who had a frown on her face and looked sad and depressed. Harry wanted to cheer her up.  
  
"Hermione?" He asked. "Whatsa matter?" He crossed his eyes and made a funny face. Hermione didn't look up.  
  
"Nothing..."  
  
"Hermione, I need to ask you a serious question." Harry asked her in the most serious voice he could get out of himself. That got her attention.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Are.....you......" He started.  
  
"Am...I....what?" She interrupted. Harry just sat there and took a deep breath.  
  
"Are.....you......" He began again. "Ticklish?!" He shouted and lunged towards her, to tickle her, but instead he accidentally pushed Hermione off the couch and fell on top of her. Everyone in the Common Room was looking at them. They didn't say anything and Harry was debating whether he should kiss her or not. It would have been the perfect moment. Hermione was on the floor, with Harry on top of her...he was leaning in just as...  
  
"Harry will you get off of me?" Hermione giggled. "I can't breath, you're too fat!" She joked. Harry felt really embarrased and rolled off of her.  
  
"Ha! You fell for it!" Hermione yelled and pinned Harry's shoulders to the floor. Everyone was still staring at them. Harry tried to get free but Hermione was holding him down, giggling like mad.  
  
"That's what you get for tickling me!" Hermione giggled. Harry was kicking his legs to get free but Hermione just sat on top of his knees.  
  
"You can't do anything! You're stuck!" She laughed.  
  
"Ok, ok, I give, I give up!" Harry snorted, he couldn't stop laughing either. This just made Hermione laugh harder, she got off him and sat on the couch, doubled up with laughter. Harry stood up and sat next to her, still laughing harder than he had in years. Hermione was facing the other way, holding her stomach she was laughing so hard. This was his chance...  
  
He lunged at her again and tickled her from behind. Hermione turned around to tickle him back and he roared with laughter. He tried to tickle her back again but she got up and started to run away. Harry followed her, barely able to run he was laughing so hard. So they chased each other around the Common Room, laughing and tickling each other for the next twenty minutes, until finally they both plopped down on the couch and were breathing heavily, trying to stop laughing. Their cheeks were red and they had never laughed that much in their whole lives. Harry was lying on the couch trying to calm down. Hermione was sitting all the way to the side of the couch, at Harry's feet. Then Hermione got her evil grin that she never gets unless she's planning something. She turned to Harry and crawled up on top of him to where she was completely on top of him, her face only two inches from his.  
  
"What're ya doin, Herm?" Harry asked, rather enjoying what she was doing. Hermione looked really calm; it didn't look as if she was going to tickle him or anything. She just ran her fingers through his hair and was humming a song that Harry didn't recognize.  
  
"Are you ok Herm?" Harry wondered.  
  
"Yeah I'm better than ever, but the question is...are you ok?" Hermione said dreamily, with a faraway look in her beautiful baby blue eyes.  
  
Harry wanted to kiss her so bad, but a lot of people were staring at them and he didn't think Hermione liked him, so there wouldn't be any reason to kiss her, or would there be?  
  
"Yeah, I'm great." Harry responded with a big smile.  
  
"Good!" said Hermione, sitting up and sitting on Harry's legs. "Then... how... are... you... NOW!?" At that last word, she tickled him again and they both started roaring with laughter, they were laughing so hard that they both fell down, yet again, on the floor, on top of each other. Except this time, Hermione hit her head on the corner of the table and made a huge gash in the back of her head. Harry immediately stopped laughing and sat up.  
  
"Hermione? Hermione? Are you ok? Hermione?" Harry shrieked, shaking Herm's head, trying to get her to wake up.  
  
"Yeah...I'm fine..." Hermione articulated, holding the back of her head with her hand. When she pulled her hand away there was blood all over it.  
  
"Oh, that can't be good, can it?" she asked, looking down at her hand, acting rather unlike herself.  
  
"Herm, we gotta get you to the Hospital Wing, c'mon, I'll take you..." said Harry, holding out his hand to help her up. They stood up together, and Hermione had lost her balance and fell right into Harry. She looked straight into his eyes and stared at him for a moment.  
  
"Hermione, c'mon lets go..." Harry said, still holding both of her hands. But Hermione didn't move, she just stared straight into his eyes.  
  
"You've got beautiful green eyes, Harry." She muttered randomly.  
  
"Yes I do, now c'mon or you'll be more hurt." Harry was getting worried.

"I've wanted to kiss you all morning. Can I kiss you now?" Hermione said, standing on her tiptoes, leaning over to kiss him and closing her eyes.  
  
Things were getting out of control. Harry had to put things straight. Just as Hermione was about to kiss him, Harry pulled away.  
  
"Hermione, no! You're hurt and I'm taking you to the hospital wing!" Harry exclaimed. Harry picked Hermione up and carried her out of the Common Room, her arms around his neck. She seemed to come to her senses.  
  
"I'm sorry, Harry." She whispered before resting her head on his shoulder, they were both silent.  
  
Harry carried her out of the Common Room and met Ron outside.  
  
"Omigosh, what happened to her?" Ron asked, seeing the blood on her head.  
  
"Oh, so NOW u care?" Harry snapped angrily. "What does it matter? She'll have a scar there, now all we need is you to have a scar on your head and you'll be happy right? Maybe if she's lucky, her scar will look like a lightning bolt. Pity it wasn't on her forehead!" Harry started to walk off towards the Hospital Wing. Ron followed him. Harry turned back around about half way there.  
  
"What are you doing?" He barked.  
  
"I'm worried about Hermione..." Ron answered, tears in his eyes. "I know you and me aren't getting along well right now, but let's put this behind us and help our friend, I don't want to see her hurt anymore."  
  
"Look, she'll be ok!" Harry said, feeling more ashamed that he hadn't had been as concerned for Hermione as Ron had been. "It's nothing major, a concussion...nothing Madam Pomfrey can't fix!" Harry smiled.  
  
"Yeah, true." Ron smiled back, he paused. "Look, I'm..."  
  
Harry interrupted. "No, don't be...I'm the one that should be..."  
  
"It's ok, you're forgiven." Ron said.  
  
"Oh...alright." Harry responded.  
  
Ron held the door open as Harry carried Hermione into the Hospital Wing. Harry carefully placed her down on a bed; Ron had gone to get Madam Pomfrey.  
  
"Oh Hermione, look what we've done this time..." Harry said thinking aloud and playing with her hair.  
  
"What have we done?" Hermione said, smiling.  
  
"Oh!" Harry jumped. "I didn't think you were awake!" Hermione just smiled, there was a silence, and then Madam Pomfrey and Ron came bursting out of her office.  
  
"Oh no, not you again, Mr. Potter! Gotten into more trouble have we? What have you gotten into this time? A poisonous plant? Thought you'd try doing a new spell but it backfired? Snuck off somewhere you shouldn't have gone?" Madam Pomfrey shrieked.  
  
"No Madam...its Hermione this time, she hit her head on the corner of the table in our Common Room, she's bleeding..." Harry replied.  
  
"Poor dear..." Madam Pomfrey breathed, looking down at Hermione. "Well, if she has no visitors or interruptions...she can be out of the hospital wing by..."  
  
"She has to be out by tomorrow Madam! It's the Ball!" Ron disrupted.  
  
"Oh don't be silly dear! She'll be out by six tonight!"  
  
"Alright then, is it ok if we come back at six tonight to walk her back to the Common Room?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes, yes, it's quite alright..." she answered distractedly while she was tending to Hermione, "Just don't let her hit her head on any tables on the way back!" she laughed.  
  
Harry and Ron forced out a chuckle and turned to Hermione.  
  
Harry just gave her a hug and didn't say anything, as Harry was turning to leave, and Madam Pomfrey had left her side to get some medicine, Ron leaned down and kissed Hermione on the forehead.  
  
"Everything's gonna be ok." He whispered. As he pulled back he ran a finger down her arm and to her hand, Hermione grasped his hand.  
  
"Thank you..." she sighed.  
  
Ron smiled. "Anytime!"  
  
........  
  
_**A/N:** Please Review!_


	4. BloodStained Waterfall

_**Disclaimer:** Credit goes to JK Rowling...(and a few other companies, people, etc. who probably own a little bit of The Boy Who Lived...) _

_**A/N:** This was my first fanfic EVER. I wrote this about two years ago, WAAAAY before OOTP, so there are a lot of things that won't fit in with canon. My writing was horrible, and I switched back and forth between plot lines...but I still think this is a pretty darn good story. However, it is the only thing I have EVER completed in all the fanfics I've ever tried to write...so I thought I'd just post it online...It is a love triangle sort of thing...Hermione likes Harry, Ron, and there's some Draco in there too...so if you don't like this...then don't read it... Well, enjoy my REALLY old fanfic...  
  
**Chapter Four - Blood-Stained Waterfall**_

"So do you think she'll be ok, Harry?" Ron asked as they walked back up to the Common Room together.  
  
"Yes, she'll be fine. Just fine..." Harry trailed off. 'Or I hope she will be...What would I do without her?' He thought to himself. There was a silence between him and Ron. Even though they had only been not talking for less than a day, it still seemed to hurt them both deep down about what they said about each other. As they say, the truth only comes out when you're angry or upset...  
  
"Harry, the question is...are you ok?" Ron asked uncertainly.  
  
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be ok?" Harry said, avoiding eye contact and looking down at his feet as they walked.  
  
"It's just, last night when I asked Hermione about the Ball, I really meant for her to take you...not me..." Ron mumbled. Silence...  
  
"Ok, I know you don't want to talk about it but...Harry we have to sort this out!" Ron begged. Silence...  
  
"Do you really love her?" Silence...  
  
After a long pause, "I dunno anymore." Harry responded, his voice shaking.  
  
"Harry, I've got to tell you something...it's really important but I don't know how to say it, I mean you and Hermione are my best friends...I can tell you guys anything right?" Ron said slowly.  
  
"Yeah, you can tell us anything. Shoot." Harry responded smiling at Ron, who didn't smile back.  
  
"Ok well, here goes...I'm going to die..." Ron started  
  
'Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring!' the bell interrupted and blocked out Ron's last word so it was barely heard.  
  
"Oh no, the first class of the day! And we got Potions!" Harry shrieked, completely forgetting what Ron had just said.  
  
"We don't have our stuff either! Hurry lets run and go get our bags!" Ron shouted as they sprinted for the Gryffindor Tower.  
  
It was a tough run since the whole of the school was walking the opposite way that they were. They finally got up to Gryffindor Tower and got their bags. They slung them on their backs and dashed away towards the dungeons.  
  
'Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring!' the bell rang again.  
  
"Oh no, that must be the minute bell! We'll never make it!" Harry gasped.  
  
They kept running and right as they got to the door to the dungeons, the bell rang one last time. They slid in the door hoping that Professor Snape wouldn't notice. But of course, Snape never misses a thing.  
  
"Potter! Weasley! Why are you late?" came Snape's sneer, malicious voice.  
  
"Uh...sir...we were just down at the Hospital Wing, with..." Harry began.  
  
"Silence! I did not mean for an answer, Potter. It was a rhetorical question!" Snape bellowed. "Since I am feeling very...generous today...I will not assign you detention."  
  
Ron's jaw dropped. "Bu..bu...you...always...bu?" He began and then Harry elbowed him in the ribs and smiled at Snape. "Ow!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
Snape looked outraged. "Shut up, Weasley! And I do not need your smirk, Potter, now SIT!" Snape motioned towards their empty seats.  
  
Harry and Ron walked down over to their usual seats; and Snape, like always started to call roll.  
  
"Pansy Parkinson..." his drawling voice pronounced.  
  
"Here!" came Pansy's annoying, high, preppy voice.  
  
"Seamus Finningan..." the sound of Snape's voice was so monotonous that it almost put everyone to sleep.  
  
While Snape was calling roll, Harry and Ron put their heads on the desk and whispered quietly.  
  
"So why do you think he didn't give us detention?" Ron asked, massaging his ribs.  
  
"I dunno..." Harry retorted. "Oh, sorry about that!" He added when he saw Ron holding his side. Ron just smiled.  
  
"Draco Malfoy..." Snape said. No answer... "Is Mr. Malfoy not here today?" he asked. At that moment Malfoy came bursting into the room.  
  
"Sorry, Professor, I was in the Hospital Wing." Malfoy said, but Snape interrupted him.  
  
"Yeah, don't worry about it." Snape didn't even look up at Malfoy as he sat down.  
  
Ron was cursing both Malfoy and Snape on the spot. But Harry reminded him that Snape didn't even give them detention so it didn't really matter.  
  
"Hermione Granger..." Snape droned on. "Is she not here today? Good...no little twit-wit know-it-all's today." Snape stated.  
  
Three people all jumped up from their desks at this remark.  
  
"What the hell was that for?!" Harry shouted at the top of his lungs.  
  
"Hey! She's our friend you son of a...well, if you don't shut up about her, I swear I'll kick your ass!" Ron yelled, punching his fist.  
  
"Just because you ask questions and the only one smart enough to answer is Hermione doesn't mean you have to go putting her down all the time! She works hard for what she does, and she deserves respect! So please...STOP!" someone else yelled from the back corner.  
  
Everyone turned around to see who it was.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy? What has gotten into you?" Professor Snape asked with a curious look on his face, completely ignoring what Harry and Ron had said, for the time being at least.  
  
"Absolutely nothing." Malfoy answered, looking very calm and undisturbed.  
  
Harry and Ron just gaped at Malfoy with their jaws dropped, in total shock.  
  
Everyone just sat there in total shock while Harry, Ron, and Malfoy were all standing up, all breathing heavily. Snape had come to his senses.  
  
"Draco, I must ask you to please take your seat." Snape said soothingly, and then turned to Harry and Ron.  
  
"Potter! Weasley! SIT!" Snape bellowed. Harry and Ron sat down so fast that they skidded backwards in their seats.  
  
"Is it proper to show disrespect to one of your professors?" Snape interrogated. Harry and Ron just sat there staring at Snape, who stared back, as if daring them to say something to piss him off even more.  
  
"I said, SPEAK!" Snape and roared. Harry and Ron were just dumbfounded.  
  
"Fine! Get out!" Snape pointed a long, sallow finger towards the door. "OUT!"  
  
Harry and Ron gathered their books and made their way to the door silently.  
  
"Detention for both of you! And 50 points from Gryffindor!" Snape yelled as they made their way out of the dungeon. Snape ran over and slammed the door in their faces.  
  
They just stood outside the classroom door for a few minutes in stunned silence. They slowly made their way back up to the Gryffindor Tower, drudging their feet along noisily. When they got up to the Common Room, Harry heaved his bag onto the couch and slung himself next to it. Ron just sat in the chair across from him.  
  
A random thought came to Harry's mind. "Why was Malfoy in the Hospital Wing, you think, Ron? He wasn't in there to see Hermione was he?"  
  
Ron just shrugged his shoulders. "I sure hope not Harry..."  
  
........  
  
The door to the hospital wing slowly opened and someone tiptoed through the shadows towards Hermione's bed. Hermione was fast asleep and had been all day; ever since Harry and Ron left her earlier, she had been asleep. The figure put a vase of roses on Hermione's bedside and sat down at the foot of her bed.  
  
"Hermione? Are you ok? Wake up Hermione..." the person said softly, rubbing her arm softly.  
  
"Harry? Is that you?" Hermione replied wearily.  
  
"No, Hermione."  
  
"Ron?"  
  
"No."  
  
There was a pause...  
  
"Draco?"  
  
"Yes, Hermione, it's me." Draco smiled.  
  
Hermione sat up and looked at the clock on her beside table; it was 5:30. That's when she noticed the roses. "Who gave those to me?"  
  
"I did..." Draco answered affectionately.  
  
"Oh, Draco, there was no need for that!" Hermione said, looking into his eyes.  
  
"Yes there was. I wanted you to know..." He broke off, silence...  
  
"Know what?" Hermione said leaning closer to him.  
  
Draco didn't say anything but he just leaned in closer to Hermione. He tenderly put his hands on Hermione's neck and pulled her close to him. He leaned in to kiss her when Hermione sneezed. She was embarrassed and apologized. Draco just ignored it and leaned in to kiss her again, their lips had barely touched when Hermione pulled away.  
  
"I can't do this..." She said quietly.  
  
Draco just put a finger on her lips. "Shh..."  
  
Hermione closed her eyes and Draco kissed her. Hermione opened her eyes again and she was now kissing Harry. She pulled away real fast and noticed that the person she was kissing was Ron. Hermione blinked real hard. No one was sitting there anymore but she wasn't in the Hospital Wing.  
  
She was in a jungle....with a waterfall. Ron was standing on a rock above the waterfall, with two figures behind him. On Ron's right was Draco, holding out a hand to help Ron. On Ron's left was Harry, sulking behind Ron not caring about what was happening. Hermione looked at the waterfall and noticed it wasn't water. It was blood...  
  
A large black dog jumped out of the tangled jungle floor and leaped onto Hermione's chest. It growled and barred its teeth. It was Sirius.  
  
Hermione looked up at the waterfall and Ron was ready to jump. Harry looked as if he were going to push Ron off the edge. Draco was on Ron's other side, taking off his shoes and cloak, looking worried, and as if he were willing to jump in after Ron if anything would happen to him.  
  
Sirius got off of Hermione and stood guard next to her. Ron caught Hermione's eye and just mouthed 'This is for you...goodbye...' Ron took a step towards the edge...  
  
Harry stepped forward and pushed Ron off the edge. Draco made a grab for Ron but it was no good, Ron was falling down towards his death down the waterfall of blood.  
  
"RON!" Hermione screamed, running towards the bottom of the waterfall, but Sirius stopped her. "NO! RON!"  
  
........  
  
"Hermione, it's ok! I'm here!" Ron said, shaking Hermione softly. 

"Wake up, it's just a dream, it's ok, I'm here!" Hermione opened her eyes and looked up at Ron.  
  
She sat up real quickly. "Oh my gosh...it was horrible, Ron! I was in the jungle, I didn't know where I was, then I looked up and there was a waterfall except it wasn't water, it was blood. And, and, and you and Harry were there. And then Sirius was there and, and, and Dra---" Hermione cut herself off, suddenly realizing that Harry was there too; she lay back down.  
  
Harry patted her forehead, "Hermione, it's ok; it was just a dream, a nightmare..."  
  
"Hey, Herm, you're fully recovered, and it's 6:30, so you can leave the Hospital Wing now..." Ron interrupted, trying to change the subject and get Hermione into better spirits.  
  
Hermione looked over at her beside table and what she saw made her scream. There was a vase of roses on the table.  
  
"Oh my gosh, who brought those?!" Hermione shouted.  
  
"Herm, calm down, it's ok, they're just roses..." Ron said coolly.  
  
"Bu--bu--but who gave them to me?" Hermione worried.  
  
"We're not sure, they were here when we walked in..." Harry replied.  
  
"Oh...alright." Hermione said, sitting up again and thinking that maybe Draco had given them to her. "Well I guess I better change into my clothes." She said, pushing Harry and Ron outside the curtains.  
  
Hermione changed quickly and hurried Harry and Ron out of the Hospital Wing. About halfway back to Gryffindor Tower, Hermione stopped suddenly.  
  
"What time is it again?" she asked anxiously.  
  
Ron shrugged his shoulders and Harry looked at his watch. "6:45..." he said slowly, "why?"  
  
"Ok, I'm really sorry, I'd love to explain, but...I just...I just can't explain! But I gotta go! Ok? Don't follow me and I'll meet you back up in the Common Room in an hour, ok?" and she just ran off down towards the Great Hall.  
  
"Wonder what she's on about?" Ron asked curiously.  
  
"No clue, but I hope it has nothing to do with Malfoy..." Harry sighed.  
  
........

_**A/N:** Please Review!_


	5. If Only

_**Disclaimer:** Credit goes to JK Rowling...(and a few other companies, people, etc. who probably own a little bit of The Boy Who Lived...)_

_** A/N:** This was my first fanfic EVER. I wrote this about two years ago, WAAAAY before OOTP, so there are a lot of things that won't fit in with canon. My writing was horrible, and I switched back and forth between plot lines...but I still think this is a pretty darn good story. However, it is the only thing I have EVER completed in all the fanfics I've ever tried to write...so I thought I'd just post it online...It is a love triangle sort of thing...Hermione likes Harry, Ron, and there's some Draco in there too...so if you don't like this...then don't read it... Well, enjoy my REALLY old fanfic..._

**_Chapter Five - If Only_**

Hermione felt the wet grass squish in her shoes. She was running along the lake trying to get to the one rock that Draco hold told her to meet him at over a half hour ago. The wind was blowing in her hair and she was running as fast as she could.  
  
"Oh, Draco, I'm so sorry! I was..." she breathed when she got there.  
  
"It's alright, you're worth waiting for." Draco smiled, patting the ground beside him, motioning her to sit down.  
  
Hermione sat down and scooted over to the edge to dangle her legs over the edge.  
  
"Don't fall; I wouldn't particularly enjoy jumping in the icy cold water to save you, Hermione." Draco whispered.  
  
"Hey, I really appreciated the roses today, thanks, it meant a lot." Hermione beamed.  
  
"Roses?" Draco asked. "What roses...?"  
  
"Oh, Nevermind." Hermione said, feeling embarrassed.  
  
"Hey, Hermione," Draco went on, ignoring the roses statement. "I hate to leave you sitting here all alone but, I gotta go up to my Common Room, I have a surprise for you. I'll be back down in a few with your surprise, ok? Don't move from this spot!" Draco said standing up.  
  
"Um, ok...hurry back!" Hermione replied.  
  
As Draco ran off, Hermione watched him go away. She sighed heavily and took out her journal which she carried around with her at all times.  
  
_Dear Diary,  
I am so confused. Tomorrow is the Ball and I have yet to ask anyone. I am starting to think that I don't even want a date. It is just too much trouble, pain, and heart breaking to handle much longer. I'm not sure if I even like Harry anymore. And Ginny is one of my best friends; I know she could never speak to me again if I asked Harry to the Ball. But like I said earlier, there is one other person. Draco is so sweet and kind and nice; he has changed so much. I am starting to think he really does like me. But when I'm with him, everything feels right and I have not a care in the world I really don't know who to ask. I may end up just taking Ron as my last resort. I think he likes me too, and I had a crush on him a while ago, but things just didn't work out, and I made some horrible choices. I think that I'm starting to like him again... Maybe he sent me the roses? But first before I ask anyone to the dance I must first figure out who I really love. Wow, I can't believe I just wrote that. Love...it's such a powerful word. Am I in love? And if so, with whom?  
Sincerely,  
Hermione_

_ ........  
_  
"Hermione!" Draco yelled as he ran towards her holding a black box in his arms. He sat down next to her on the rock and gave her the box. "Here you go, my love."  
  
Hermione just looked up at Draco, she thought to herself, "Did he just call me his love?" She opened the box to find a single carnation and a piece of parchment inside. She unfolded the paper and on it was written a poem:  
  
_ I've made a lot of mistakes,  
I don't doubt that.  
But for some reason,  
You make me want to change  
And be a better person.  
I can just look at you  
And get lost in your stunning eyes.  
It makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside.  
Is this what love feels like?  
I can just hear your voice  
And my heart automatically melts.  
It sometimes gives me the butterflies.  
Is this what love feels like?  
I can just touch your arm  
And I feel your baby soft skin.  
My finger trembles as I touch you.  
Is this what love feels like?  
All I have to do is think of you  
And my heart flip flops in my chest.  
All I have to do is see you  
And my eyes double take just to see you again.  
Is this what love feels like?  
Or really, is this Heaven?  
Because every time I'm with you,  
I feel I'm in Heaven,  
Because I'm with one of God's angels.  
Hopefully you can one day forgive me.  
I've done some horrible things to you.  
I promise to change.  
Because I'm willing to do anything,  
Just to spend time with one of God's angels.  
_  
Hermione finished reading the poem with tears running down her face. "It's beautiful, Draco."  
  
"I knew you'd like it...I'm glad your better now." Draco kissed her forehead. "Well I'd love to sit here and talk with you some more, but it's getting late. Can I walk you up to your Common Room or should I just walk you into the Great Hall?"  
  
"Um, maybe it would be safer if you just walked me to the Great Hall..." She said. Draco stood up and put out a hand to help Hermione up. She grabbed his hand and stood up. Hermione just kept holding on to his hand and they held hands as they walked around the lake back into the Great Hall.  
  
Before they stepped inside the doors, Draco stopped, so Hermione stopped as well. "What is it Draco?" She whispered.  
  
Draco slowly leaned in to kiss her, but Hermione didn't know what to do. She had never been kissed before and she wasn't even sure if she should kiss Draco, so she pulled back. Draco got the hint and hugged her and left.  
  
"Bye..." Hermione whispered. She made her way up seven staircases to get to Gryffindor Tower. "Hobbit Feet!" She exclaimed as she made her way to the Portrait Hole. She climbed in and Harry and Ron were sitting in the Common Room playing Wizard's Chess.  
  
"Well hello there!" Ron said in a cheerful tone and with a big smile on his face.  
  
"Hey Herm..." Harry uttered softly, not nearly in as good of a mood as Ron.  
  
"Hey...what's the matter Harry?" Hermione asked, but Harry just shrugged his shoulders. Ron started laughing.  
  
"I beat him at chess all six times that we've played!" Ron laughed. Harry reached over and punched Ron in the arm. Ron immediately stopped laughing. "Ow, what was that for?!"  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. "Shut up will you?"  
  
Ron just looked at Herm and shook his head. "Harry's probably pms-ing." Ron mouthed. Hermione had to hold her stomach to keep herself from laughing; her face was turning bright red. She sat down on the couch next to Harry.  
  
"Where have you been, Hermione?" Harry queried. "Were you with Malfoy?"  
  
"No I have not." Hermione answered without pausing.  
  
"Then where were you?!" Harry shouted.  
  
There was a pause.  
  
"Harry, there's no need to shout..." Ron said quietly.  
  
"Oh, right, whatever." Harry said and picked up his Potions homework and moved over to a table in the corner to work on his homework alone.  
  
"Hermione, really, where were you?" Ron asked her.  
  
"I went down to the kitchens, Ron, really." She replied.  
  
"Look, I know you think Malfoy has changed," Ron started. "And maybe he has, who knows for sure." He added seeing Hermione open her mouth to interrupt. "But you really don't see why everyone is freaking out so much over it? He has done some horrible things to everyone, especially you."  
  
"But Ron he apologized!" Hermione pleaded.  
  
"Was he sincere? What has he ever done to prove to you that he can actually be a caring and thoughtful person? Maybe it's all just an act, Hermione. But I'm not here telling you who you can and can't hang out with. But Hermione, watch out for yourself, I don't want you to get hurt, alright?"  
  
"Oh Ron!" Hermione reached over and hugged Ron real tight. "You're the only one that understands...or willing to try and understand...Ron, thank you so much." She kissed him on the cheek.  
  
Ron just sat there stunned. He rubbed his cheek where she had kissed him and he could feel himself going bright red. "Uh...um...uh...no problem." He stuttered.  
  
Ginny started walking down the dormitory steps and walked over to the couch where Hermione and Ron were sitting.  
  
"Have you seen Har...?" She cut herself off as her eyes drifted over to the corner where Harry was doing his homework. She squealed and ran back up the stairs.  
  
"What's with her?" Ron asked. Hermione just giggled.  
  
"Oh, nothing..."  
  
After about a half an hour, Harry finally got up and walked back over to Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Hermione, look..." he began. Hermione just looked up at him. "Um, well, I apologize for blowing up at you. I overheard your and Ron's conversation and I'm sorry."  
  
Hermione got up and hugged Harry. "I was hoping we could be able to forgive each other. I don't want to lose you Harry..." she said with tears in her eyes. "As a friend of course..." she added quickly. Harry hugged her back.  
  
Ginny walked back down the stairs and saw Harry and Hermione hugging. She stopped in place and sat there staring at them. When Harry and Hermione pulled back, Hermione saw Ginny.  
  
"How could you?!" Ginny yelled.  
  
"Ginny, what?" Hermione replied.  
  
"How could you?!" Ginny repeated her voice shaky.  
  
"Ginny...what is it?" Harry asked politely.  
  
"Oh shut up Harry! You're the problem here anyways!" Ginny shrieked.  
  
"Harry's the problem?" Ron said to himself.  
  
"You stay out of it too, Ron!" Ginny shouted.  
  
There was an awkward pause.  
  
"Ginny...nothing happened. Harry and I were in a fight. We just made up and we were hugging, like friends do, that's all!" Hermione claimed.  
  
"Oh yeah, sure! You knew I was going to ask him to the Ball tonight, but no! You got to him first! You knew, Hermione, you knew! How could you do this to me?!" Ginny cried.  
  
"Got to me first?" Harry thought to himself.  
  
"Ginny, I wasn't even going to ask Harry to the Ball! I was going to go with Ron, remember?" Hermione was starting to get very uneasy.  
  
"Oh, that makes me feel SO great..." Harry accidentally said aloud.  
  
Ginny, Hermione, and Ron all looked at Harry.  
  
"Wha?" Harry said innocently.  
  
Ron stood up and grabbed Harry's arm, "C'mon you need to come with me..."  
  
Ron led Harry up the boys dormitories stairs. "Harry, is there anything you need to tell me?" Ron asked impatiently.  
  
"No, you already know everything." Harry said, trying to make his way back down the staircase, but Ron stopped him.  
  
"Look, you...we...need to work this out. Ginny obviously likes you, and you like Hermione. I'm just taking a shot in the dark here but I'm pretty sure Herm likes you too, Harry."  
  
"Then why is she going to the dance with you?!" Harry interrupted.  
  
"Harry, I'm really sorry," Ron replied. "But she's only going with me as a last resort, remember?"  
  
"Yeah well, a last resort then, huh? Then if she likes me so much, why doesn't she ask me then she wouldn't have to go with you as a last resort!" Harry snapped.  
  
Ron felt so horrible; he knew Harry liked Hermione, a lot. But Ron was starting to like her too.  
  
Ron could hear Ginny and Hermione down in the Common Room still fighting. He made his way closer to the entrance to hear them a little easier. He didn't really want to eavesdrop, he was just curious...  
  
"Hermione, look, you knew I was going to ask him!" Ginny was crying.  
  
"Ginny, ok, this is going to sound so horrible, but it's the truth! It's not like Harry is your boyfriend, so he doesn't have to like you and only you!" Hermione was crying too. "Maybe he doesn't even like me in the first place, I'm pretty sure that I don't even like him anymore! But he's not yours, so you can't get mad at me or anybody for that matter, just for hugging him!"  
  
"That was harsh, Herm, real harsh. You know what? Forget it! Forget I was ever your friend! You're just a bigheaded, stuck-up, know-it-all!" Ginny barked.  
  
"Ok gosh, I didn't ask for your rude comments!" Hermione replied coolly.  
  
"Leave me alone you Mudblood!" Ginny screamed.  
  
Ron turned the corner in time to see Ginny run up the stairs and see Hermione fall on the floor crying.  
  
"Herm!" Ron yelled as he ran over to her. "Don't listen to her, Herm." He sat down on the floor next to her.  
  
"Ron, oh Ron, I'm sorry!" Hermione whimpered.  
  
"Shh, you need to rest Hermione, you've been through a long day. First getting hurt and going to the Hospital Wing, you and Harry getting in a fight, you and Ginny getting in a fight...you need to get your rest ok?" Ron helped her up.  
  
Hermione had tears flowing down her face. "Ron, did you hear what she called me? Oh Ron...she is one of my best friends! Or...she was..." Hermione sobbed.  
  
"Herm, it's ok. Just go to bed, alright? I'll see you in the morning." Ron helped Hermione walk up the steps and led her into the Girl's Dormitories. "Night," he said and went to his own dorm.  
  
Harry was already asleep, or at least, Ron thought so. All the other boys were already asleep as well. Ron changed into his pajamas and got into bed. He fell asleep immediately.  
  
Harry, on the other hand, couldn't sleep; he tossed and turned the whole night but he could never manage to fall asleep, so he got up and sat by the window.  
  
Harry put his head on his knees and stared blankly out into the darkness. "If only I had another chance..." He said aloud to himself. "If only I could take it back...If only I could go back in time, make everything right...If only..."  
  
........

_**A/N:** Please Review!_


	6. Snuffles

_**Disclaimer:** Credit goes to JK Rowling...(and a few other companies, people, etc. who probably own a little bit of The Boy Who Lived...) _

_**A/N:** This was my first fanfic EVER. I wrote this about two years ago, WAAAAY before OOTP, so there are a lot of things that won't fit in with canon. My writing was horrible, and I switched back and forth between plot lines...but I still think this is a pretty darn good story. However, it is the only thing I have EVER completed in all the fanfics I've ever tried to write...so I thought I'd just post it online...It is a love triangle sort of thing...Hermione likes Harry, Ron, and there's some Draco in there too...so if you don't like this...then don't read it... Well, enjoy my REALLY old fanfic...  
  
**Chapter Six - Snuffles**_

Just then Harry saw a large black dog running across the Hogwarts grounds. "Sirius!" Harry whispered to himself. He immediately stood up and peered out the window to make sure it was really him. The dog was headed for Hagrid's hut...  
  
Harry debated whether or not he should wake Ron; he decided he shouldn't. Harry put on his shoes and opened up his trunk, digging down into the bottom to find his Invisibility Cloak. Apparently he was rummaging very loudly and woke Ron.  
  
"What're ya doin Harry?" He asked groggily, rubbing his eyes and sitting up.  
  
"Uh...uh...Shh, go back to sleep Ron." Harry stammered.  
  
"Is that your cloak?" Ron asked loudly, when he first saw the cloak Harry was trying to hide.  
  
"Ron! Hush!"  
  
"Oh, right...sorry..."  
  
"Look, Ron, 'Snuffles' is outside, I saw him. He's over by Hagrid's hut. I'm going to see him, alright? Stay here." Harry stood up and began to put the cloak on.  
  
Ron got out of bed and stopped Harry from putting it on. "I'm going with you." He said.  
  
........  
  
Harry and Ron moved as fast as they could under the Invisibility Cloak. They made their way over to Hagrid's hut and in the shadows, they saw the dog, but it somehow looked different.  
  
Ron threw off the Invisibility Cloak. "Snuffles?" Ron whispered. Harry took off the Invisibility Cloak and laid it next to the wood pile stacked neatly up the wall of Hagrid's hut. Harry made his way up to the large black dog.  
  
"Snuffles, is that you?" He asked. The dog ran off behind the hut, and around the other side came a tall, lanky, scruffy looking man. "Sirius it's really you!" Harry murmured.  
  
"Harry, it's great to see you." Sirius said, embracing Harry as if he was his own son. Then he looked over at Ron. "It's great to see you as well, Ron." He said and motioned the two of them to sit on a nearby log.  
  
"Why are you here?" Harry questioned as he and Ron sat down.  
  
"I've heard some rumors, they may not be true of course, but I thought you ought to know."  
"Like wha?" Ron interrupted.  
  
"There are some nasty things goin' on in the world right now. Both in the Wizarding and Muggle worlds. There's word, that you-know-who, is gettin' some followers again. But really, no one is for sure that he's even back, you know." Sirius began. "But I've heard that there are plans to attack the school...from the inside...there are some people here that want you dead, Harry. All I've heard is that there is a student involved, maybe more than one student, I'm not sure. But all I know about what may happen is..." Sirius was interrupted by sticks snapping in the woods. He paused, and then there was another snapping. "Quick...get under the cloak!" He gasped.  
  
Harry and Ron threw the cloak over themselves and watched as Sirius transformed back into a dog and ran off into the forest. Harry and Ron just stood there, holding their breath, waiting to see who was out there. Then they saw Hagrid walking around his hut, to the pumpkin patch.  
  
"It was only Hagrid!" Ron said, relieved and throwing the cloak off him and Harry. He looked over at Harry but he was just standing there, gaping in the opposite direction. "Whatsa matter, Harry?" He asked. Then Ron turned around and there was a white ferret. It was running off in the direction of the castle. Ron was confused and he looked back over to Harry. "What's the deal with that?" He inquired.  
  
Harry just shook his head. "I don't know Ron...I really dunno."  
  
Harry and Ron made their way back up to Gryffindor Tower, moving very slowly under the Invisibility Cloak. When they got back up to the Common Room, it was completely bare of any students. They didn't say a word and just went back to bed.  
  
........  
  
Hermione got up before anyone else in Gryffindor that morning and decided to go down to the Great Hall to get some breakfast. She was one of the only students in there, but she just sat down and began eating.  
  
Draco and all of his Slytherin cronies made their way into the Great Hall not long after Hermione had got there. She looked up at him when he walked in and watched him sit down. She forgot about her food and just sat there staring at him. Draco looked up from talking to Crabbe and Goyle and saw Hermione staring at him. He smiled and looked back down.  
  
Ron had obviously woken and decided to come down to the Great Hall too because he came and sat across from Hermione.  
  
"Morning." He yawned.  
  
"Good morning." Hermione replied.  
  
They ate in a kind of awkward silence, until Ron finally mentioned the dance.  
  
"So tonight's the big night, eh?"  
  
"Yeah..." Hermione said, not looking at Ron.  
  
There was a long pause.  
  
"You don't have to go if you don't want to." Ron mumbled.  
  
"Not go to the Ball?" Hermione responded.  
  
"Yeah, you don't have to go with...with me..." He said reluctantly.  
  
She smiled. "Oh Ron, don't be silly. I want to go with you."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Really..." Hermione nodded. "Well, I'm going to go get ready for the Ball now...I'll see you later." She said, getting up. Ron grabbed her wrist.  
  
"Why are you leaving so early?"  
  
"It will take me a while to get ready, trust me, it will be worth it..." Ron let go of her wrist and she walked out the Great Hall.  
  
Draco saw Hermione walk off and decided to follow.  
  
"Hermione, wait"! He said, running up next to her. "Are you going to the Ball with anyone?"  
  
Taken aback by the sudden question, Hermione had to stop to think. "Oh, yeah...I am..."  
  
Draco looked disappointed. "Oh..." He started to turn back around. "I'll see you tonight I guess..."  
  
........

_**A/N:** Please Review!_


	7. Eaves Dropping

_**Disclaimer:** Credit goes to JK Rowling...(and a few other companies, people, etc. who probably own a little bit of The Boy Who Lived...) _

_**A/N:** This was my first fanfic **EVER**. I wrote this about two years ago, WAAAAY before OOTP, so there are a lot of things that won't fit in with canon. My writing was horrible, and I switched back and forth between plot lines...but I still think this is a pretty darn good story. However, it is the only thing I have EVER completed in all the fanfics I've ever tried to write...so I thought I'd just post it online...It is a love triangle sort of thing...Hermione likes Harry, Ron, and there's some Draco in there too...so if you don't like this...then don't read it... Well, enjoy my **REALLY** old fanfic...  
  
__**Chapter Seven - Eaves Dropping**  
_  
Hermione and the rest of the girls spent the most part of the day getting ready for the Ball. All the guys were already ready and waiting in the Common Room for all the girls to come out.  
  
"So, are you nervous about going to the Ball with Hermione?" Harry asked Ron.  
  
"Yeah, I'm really scared." Ron held up his hand and Harry saw that it was shaking.  
  
"Well, just treat her good, alright? She doesn't deserve anything less than what you could give her Ron. Just..."  
  
"Oh shut up Harry." Ron said smiling and punching him in the arm; Harry didn't smile, however.  
  
Ginny was the first girl to come out of the Dorms. She was wearing light orange robes and her hair was French braided. She had a gold charm bracelet and dangling gold earrings. Her makeup had been done perfectly and it complemented her natural beauty.  
  
Ron ran up to her and gave her a hug. "You look beautiful!" She was beaming, and kept looking over in Harry's direction.  
  
"You really are stunning, Ginny." Harry said softly.  
  
"Thanks, Harry, you look great too!" She said smiling real big and admiring Harry's forest green robes.  
  
It seemed like forever for Hermione to come out, but what seemed like an eternity, she finally came out.  
  
She started walking down the stairs and it seemed like some radiant light was glowing from the staircase. Both Harry's and Ron's jaws dropped when they saw Hermione.  
  
Hermione was wearing robes in a shimmering baby blue color. The color of her robes matched her eyes perfectly. All of her chocolate brown hair was pinned up in a bun, except for her bangs, which were lying against her face, and had been perfectly curled. She was wearing a silver necklace, with a single charm on it...a cross. She was wearing a diamond bracelet with small little sapphires in it. The sapphires were for her birthstone, since she was born in September. She had silver hoops on, and little diamonds for the second hole in her ears. Even her eye shadow was baby blue and matched her eyes perfectly. She was wearing a pink lip gloss, and had nail polish that was the same shade of pink.  
  
But what made Hermione the most beautiful was her smile. Not the fact that her teeth were straight and white, but the fact that she was smiling made her so charismatic.  
  
Ron just sat there with his jaw still at the floor.  
  
"Wow, Hermione...You are so...so..." Harry stuttered. "You're gorgeous."  
  
"Why do you act so surprised?" Hermione said, grinning.  
  
"You're incredible..." Harry sighed.  
  
"Dazzling..." Ron said.  
  
Hermione giggled. "Well, I was going for elegant...but thanks you guys, it means a lot." Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all walked down to the Great Hall together.  
  
The Hall was magnificent. It was decorated with many bushes and flowers. The four long House tables had been moved and instead, there was a dance floor. There were about a hundred small tables that could seat ten people each. There were little strings of fairies that were lit up along the pathways to the tables and dance floor.  
  
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all found a table and sat there with the rest of their Gryffindor friends. When all the students in Hogwarts had filed into the Great Hall and sat down at a table, Professor Dumbledore stood up form the teacher's table in the front.  
  
"I see you have all arrived!" He said, his eyes twinkling with enthusiasm. "I have arranged that the Weird Sisters perform again this year! I hope you enjoy them. Thank you for coming and enjoy yourselves! And stay out of trouble!" He added, winking and sat back down at the table, starting up a conversation with Professor McGonagall.  
  
The Weird Sisters came out and started singing a slow song. Ginny had talked Harry into dancing with him the first song, and Ron and Hermione just sat at the table, not talking. Hermione looked over at the table nearest to theirs, and Draco was sitting at it. Crabbe and Goyle were talking amongst themselves and Pansy was obviously pestering Draco to dance.  
  
"Draco! Dance with me! I asked you to the Ball and you said yes so dance with me now!" She demanded. Draco just sat back in his chair, staring at the people on the dance floor, and looking like he thoroughly enjoyed ignoring Pansy.  
  
Draco looked over at Hermione's table and saw her staring at him. She smiled when their eyes met, and he smiled back. Pansy looked to see who Draco smiled at and got up. She walked over to Hermione's table and stood there.  
  
"What do you want, Parkinson?" Ron snapped at Pansy.  
  
She ignored Ron's question and pointed a finger at Hermione. "You..."  
  
"What about me?" Hermione said coolly.  
  
"You...You stay away from my boyfriend you Mudblood!" Pansy shrieked and walked off.  
  
"What was that about?" Ron asked.  
  
Hermione was giggling. "No clue...she must be insane or something."  
  
"Well, I'm going to go get us some punch? Alright?" Ron got to his feet.  
  
"Ok, thanks!" Hermione smiled.  
  
When Ron left, Draco saw this as his chance to go talk to Hermione. He walked over to her table and sat down in Ron's empty seat. He grabbed Hermione's hand and held it in his.  
  
"Hey...come with me." He stood up, still holding Hermione's hand. He led her off to the gardens outside.  
  
........  
  
"Hey, Hermione, I just wanted to tell you...no...ok...hey Herm, you need to know something...no...ok...this is really it...ok...Hermione...I love you..."  
  
"Hey Ron, what are you doing?" Harry bumped into Ron talking to himself.  
  
"Oh my gosh, hey Harry!" Ron said quickly.  
  
"What do you got there?" Harry asked, pointing at the cups in each of Ron's hands.  
  
"Oh, um, its punch, I told Hermione I'd get us some...so yeah..."  
  
"Oh, that's nice of you." Harry replied, looking down at his feet.  
  
Ron started to feel bad again. "So, are you having a good time with Ginny?" He was trying to change the subject.  
  
"To tell you the truth...actually...yeah." Harry smiled.  
  
Ron returned the smile. "That's great, Harry."  
  
"Thanks! Well I should leave you to go back to Hermione; I'll see you later, alright?"  
  
"Alright..." Ron left Harry and walked back over to their table. Hermione wasn't there...He turned around and saw just in time that Malfoy and Hermione were walking off...together...hand in hand...  
  
Ron followed them out into the gardens. He still had both the punch cups in his hands, but he just stayed behind the corner looking around, spying on them...  
  
........  
  
Draco led Hermione out into the gardens and sat her down on a bench next to a fountain. He sat down next to her and held her in his arms. They looked up at the stars in the sky.

"What is all this about?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I've always wondered what it would be like..." He said softly. Hermione sat up and turned around to look at him.  
  
"What would what be like?" She said looking him in the eye, though he didn't look at her.  
  
Draco just sighed softly. "To be with one of God's angels..."  
  
"Aww, Draco..." Hermione shed a single tear. Draco looked down at Hermione and wiped the tear off her face. "I...I..." She began.  
  
He interrupted her. "Shh...don't speak." He put his finger on her lips, and Hermione closed her eyes. Draco leaned in and kissed her.  
  
........  
  
Ron dropped the two cups of punch he was holding.  
  
"I can't believe it..." He whispered to himself. "I gave her those roses when she was hurt...I helped her when she needed help...I was the one there for her when she needed a friend...I...I...I was in love with her..." Ron started to cry. He slid down the wall he was peaking around and sat on the ground, half concealed by a rose bush. He silently sobbed until he came to his senses. He would just talk to Hermione about it later...he was willing to try and understand...he was relieved that their relationship didn't go any further before they made a huge mistake and ruined a great friendship. Though he was still very shaken up from what he had seen, he forced himself to act normal and go sit back by the table. He had to fight with all he had to keep the tears inside of him; for he really thought that he had loved Hermione...  
  
........  
  
Hermione pulled away from Draco and looked him in the eyes. "Draco...I...I can't do this."  
  
"I don't understand." Draco replied.  
  
"I...I...I just dunno..." Hermione sighed.  
  
"Well, I was going to ask you something."  
  
"Yes?" Hermione asked, wondering what he could possibly ask her.  
  
"Hermione Granger...will you go out with me?" Draco asked, looking her in the eye. Hermione just sighed and looked up at the stars. "Well...?" He asked again.  
  
"Oh Draco...I...I..." She said, tearing up.  
  
"I understand..." He interrupted, standing up.  
  
"No...I do want to go out with you but I...I..."  
  
"It's ok Granger, I only wanted your answer, not your explanation." Draco said, cruelly.  
  
"Draco, what's gotten into you? I would go out with you, but I just can't..." Hermione was almost at the point of tears.  
  
"Well why can't you?" He spat. Hermione just looked down at her feet and wiped away her tears.  
  
"If I had known you would only use me and be like this, I would have never talked to you in the first place!" She exclaimed.  
  
"You're nothing more than a filthy little Mudblood! Do you know that?"  
  
Hermione just stood up and looked Draco in the eye. "How dare you!" She breathed, and slapped Malfoy across the face. Malfoy put one hand up to where she had hit him, and took the other hand and grabbed Hermione's arm.  
  
"You'll pay for that one, Granger!" He replied angrily.  
  
"Let go! Just leave me be!" Hermione pulled away and ran off. She stopped a little ways and turned around and saw Malfoy sit back down on the bench. She sighed and walked back into the Great Hall.  
  
"I had to do that. I didn't choose to be this way, I was forced to...I'm sorry Hermione..." Draco whispered to himself.  
  
........ 

_**A/N:** I'm not done posting up the rest of the chapters yet...so this is not the end of the story...There are actually 11 more chapters to go! I'll post them up soon...when I have time. And don't forget to **REVIEW PLEASE!!!!**_


	8. Their Dance

_**Disclaimer:** Credit goes to JK Rowling...(and a few other companies, people, etc. who probably own a little bit of The Boy Who Lived...)_

_** A/N:** This was my first fanfic EVER. I wrote this about two years ago, WAAAAY before OOTP, so there are a lot of things that won't fit in with canon. My writing was horrible, and I switched back and forth between plot lines...but I still think this is a pretty darn good story. However, it is the only thing I have EVER completed in all the fanfics I've ever tried to write...so I thought I'd just post it online...It is a love triangle sort of thing...Hermione likes Harry, Ron, and there's some Draco in there too...so if you don't like this...then don't read it... Well, enjoy my REALLY old fanfic...  
  
**Chapter Eight - Their Dance**_  
  
"Hey Ron!" Hermione said, happily, sitting back down in her chair at their table; Ron didn't respond. "O...K...well, have you seen Harry?" She asked, trying to get Ron to talk...he didn't. "Well...are you having fun?" No response..."Ron?"  
  
"What do you want?" He snapped, not looking up from his shoes. Hermione didn't say anything. A few seconds later, the song that was playing stopped, and the Weird Sister's began to sing a slower song. Hermione just looked at Ron, though he didn't look at her.  
  
"Would you like to dance?" She asked quietly.  
  
"No."  
  
"Alright..." Hermione got up. "Want some punch?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Ok, well I'm getting some for myself, I'd be glad to get you some." Hermione said, irritated.  
  
"I said no."  
  
"Ok, I'll be back in a few." She left and as she was walking away she bumped into Harry and Ginny. "Oh, hey you guys! Having fun?"  
  
"Loads!" Ginny replied with a big grin.  
  
Ginny and Harry walked over to the table where Ron was sitting alone.  
  
"Howdy!" Ginny said in her bubbly, but annoying voice. Harry and Ginny sat down on either side of Ron.  
  
"Harry, I have to tell you something..." Ron whispered. "In private..." He added, looking over at Ginny.  
  
"Ugh, fine, whatever! I can take a hint!" Ginny got up and left, but not without hugging Harry first...  
  
"Yeah, what is it?" Harry asked impatiently after Ginny was out of earshot.  
  
"Well...it's about Hermione..." Ron began, trying to find his voice.  
  
"Uh huh..." Harry replied.  
  
"Well...she...uh...well...er...um..." Ron didn't know where to start.  
  
"Just tell me!" Harry blurted.  
  
Ron sighed heavily, "she kis---" he got interrupted when Hermione returned with her punch. Ron went back to sulking and stared at his feet.  
  
"Hey Harry!" Hermione said cheerfully. Harry just smiled.  
  
The three of them sat down at the table, all alone, but not saying a single word to each other. It was an awkward silence. Hermione wanted to tell them about her kiss...but she decided against it. Ron wanted to tell Harry and seeing Hermione and Malfoy kiss, but he just couldn't bring himself to say the words; especially in front of Hermione. And Harry was just being the normal guy, lost and confused, not having a clue what's going on.  
  
Ginny was a lifesaver and came back and got Harry to go dancing again. Then it was only Ron and Hermione at the table.  
  
"So you like him do you?" Ron blurted, looking Hermione in the eye for the first time.  
  
"Who?" Hermione responded.  
  
"You know who."  
  
"No I don't know, actually."  
  
"Don't lie."  
  
"Ron? Who?!" Hermione really didn't know who he was talking about.  
  
"Him! You kissed him!" Ron said sourly. Hermione just sat back in her chair, now knowing who he was talking about.  
  
"You...you...you saw?" She stuttered.  
  
"Yes I saw!" Ron yelled.  
  
"Were you spying on me? Did you follow me?"  
  
"No" Ron said quickly, "But...but...but...you kissed him, Hermione!"  
  
Hermione put her finger to her lips. "Shh, Ron! No need to yell!"  
  
"Sure there is a need!" Ron shouted even louder. People were turning to look at them.  
  
"Hush!" Hermione was turning very red.  
  
"Don't hush me!" Ron spat.  
  
"Ron, please, I don't like him!"  
  
"Oh right, so, you sneak off with Malfoy, then go to the Ball with him, and then you kiss him! And no, you don't like him. Gosh, you are such a horrible liar, 'Mione. Just horrible." Ron sulked.  
  
Hermione started to tear up. "You don't understand! I..I..."  
  
"I completely understand!" Ron interrupted.  
  
Hermione just broke down and began crying. Ron just sat there looking at her, and then realized that about twenty people around them were staring at him. He started to feel horrible.  
  
"It's alright, Herm," he patted her back. "Ok, I'm willing to listen...tell me everything."  
  
Hermione looked up and scooted her chair closer to him. "Oh Ron..." she sniffled. She went on to explain how she thought Draco had changed as was being sweet, she told him about the kiss, and then what happened afterwards.  
  
"That slimy git! He kissed you then called you a Mudblood for not going out with him?" Ron asked, disbelieving. Hermione just nodded her head and started to tear up again. "Oh, 'Mione...I'm so sorry. You don't deserve to be treated that way..." He hugged her, and Hermione hugged back as tight as she could.  
  
Then came on another slow song. Ron and Hermione pulled out of their embrace and looked each other in the eye.  
  
"Care to dance?" Ron asked.  
  
"I'd love to." Hermione smiled.  
  
Ron stood up and pulled Hermione's chair out form under the table. He grabbed her hand and helped her up. When she was standing up, he let go of her hand, but Hermione grabbed his hand harder, forcing him to keep holding her hand. When they got to the dance floor, Ron turned nervously to Hermione.  
  
"Um, Hermione?" He stuttered.  
  
"Hmm...?"  
  
"I..I don't know how to dance." Ron turned bright red, thinking Hermione would laugh at him.  
  
Hermione just smiled. "It's alright, here, let me lead, ok?" Hermione took Ron's right hand and put it on her waist. She put her left hand on his shoulder and then took her free hand and grabbed Ron's other hand. "Is this ok?" She asked. Ron just nodded his head and smiled.  
  
"Um, can we dance a little...closer?" Ron asked politely. Hermione moved up closer to him. "Um...closer?" Ron turned bright red, and looked over at his side. He felt Hermione move up so close to him, it was almost like a hug. But Ron was still embarrassed so he kept looking over to the side. Hermione let go of his hand, and tilted his head so he would look at her.  
  
"There, that's better...don't you think?" Hermione whispered.  
  
"Yes...much...much...better..." Ron replied.  
  
And there Hermione and Ron danced, staring into each other's eyes, not caring about who or what was around them. It was as if they were the only ones on the dance floor.  
  
"I have to tell you something." Ron said suddenly.  
  
"I have to tell you something." Hermione said at the same time.  
  
"Oh...you go first." Hermione giggled.  
  
"No...ladies first." Ron grinned.  
  
"Ok, well, the reason why I said no to Malfoy when he asked me out was because I like somebody else." Hermione began.  
  
"Oh..." Ron said, looking down at his feet. He knew she was talking about Harry...  
  
"Well..." Hermione sighed. "uh...um...oh...you go first, Ron."  
  
"Well, I wanted to tell you that I...I..." Ron faltered.  
  
"Yes?" Hermione said, tilting his chin yet again to look at her.  
  
"I love---"  
  
Just then Ginny walked up and poked Ron in the back. "Hey! I see you two are having fun!"  
  
"Oh hey Ginny!" Hermione said, letting go of Ron and talking to Ginny.  
  
"I need to tell you something, Hermione, in private." Ginny whispered and lead Hermione away.  
  
"I...I love you..." Ron said to Hermione's back as she walked off.  
  
"You love that Mudblood?" Came a cold and cruel voice from behind Ron...It was Malfoy.  
  
Ron turned around to see who was talking to him. "Shove off, Malfoy." He blurted...his hands clutching into fists.  
  
"Oh yeah, Weasley?" Malfoy sneered.  
  
"Yeah!" Ron pounded his fists together. Malfoy just stood there laughing.  
  
"You think you can beat me?" He sneered and Ron just stared at Malfoy, fuming with rage. Malfoy made a grab for Ron and punched him hard in the nose.  
  
Ron grabbed his bleeding face. "You'll pay for that one!" Ron grabbed Malfoy's hair and attempted to take a handful out of his head. Malfoy kicked Ron in the shins and made a grab for his wand; but Ron was faster...soon Malfoy found himself under the jelly legs curse.  
  
"Weasley!" Malfoy yelled when Ron just sat there laughing at Malfoy, twirling his wand between his fingers. While Ron was too busy laughing, he didn't notice that Malfoy had grabbed his own wand and performed the counter curse. Before Ron knew it, his own wand had been yanked out of his hand and he had Malfoy grabbing him by the throat.  
  
"Now, you see here, Weasley...you'll pay for this petty little fight. You and your little Mudblood friend will pay dearly for your little escapades tonight. I hope you're happy." Malfoy growled, holding Ron up against a wall where his toes did not stroke the floor. Malfoy took one hand off of Ron's neck and grabbed his wand and pointed it at Ron.  
  
"I need no mistakes from you, do you got that? I've got some plans now and I don't need them to get ruined by a disgrace to the Wizarding world and his Mudblood friend. Got that?" Malfoy taunted, jabbing his wand into Ron's chest. Ron slowly nodded his head and Malfoy let go of Ron's neck. Ron fell to the ground and grabbed his neck where Malfoy had been holding it. Malfoy kicked Ron in the side and threw Ron's wand at him.  
  
"Now get!" Malfoy yelled. Ron grabbed his wand and stood up.  
  
"Shove it up your ass!" Ron yelled and ran off to the Gryffindor Common Room.  
  
........  
  
_**A/N:** Please Review!_


	9. Finding The Old Letter

**_Disclaimer:_** _Credit goes to JK Rowling...(and a few other companies, people, etc. who probably own a little bit of The Boy Who Lived...)  
  
**A/N:** This was my first fanfic EVER. I wrote this about two years ago, WAAAAY before OOTP, so there are a lot of things that won't fit in with canon. My writing was horrible, and I switched back and forth between plot lines...but I still think this is a pretty darn good story. However, it is the only thing I have EVER completed in all the fanfics I've ever tried to write...so I thought I'd just post it online...It is a love triangle sort of thing...Hermione likes Harry, Ron, and there's some Draco in there too...so if you don't like this...then don't read it... Well, enjoy my REALLY old fanfic..._  
  
**_Chapter Nine - Finding The Old Letter_**  
  
When Ron got up to the Common Room the first people he saw where Harry and Hermione. He had obviously missed whatever happened during the time that he and Malfoy were fighting, and Ron also didn't notice that Harry had had his hand on Hermione's thigh.  
  
"Hermione I need to talk to you...in private..." Ron breathed. Hermione stood up and made a motion for Ron to follow him up to the girl's dorms.  
  
When they were alone in the dorms, Ron closed the door and locked it quickly.  
  
"Hermione...I have to finish what I was going to say..." Ron blurted, not thinking about how he's gonna say it.  
  
"Alright...go ahead..." Hermione nodded, not taking her eyes of Ron's.  
  
"Well...Hermione...I...I..."  
  
"Yes...?" Hermione said politely.  
  
"I...I love you."  
  
Hermione sat there shocked. "But...but...you...you can't."  
  
"Well, why can't I?"  
  
"Think about what you're saying!"  
  
"Yeah...I've thought about it a lot..."  
  
"No! You don't get it!"  
  
"Your right, I don't Hermione, so then explain it to me." Ron was starting to feel hurt.  
  
"Just think about what you're saying! You don't mean it and I know you don't!"  
  
"Hermione--"  
  
Hermione interrupted. "Ron don't do this!" She began to tear up.  
  
"What...do what? Don't...don't cry..." Ron stuttered, feeling as if he wanted to cry as well.  
  
Hermione moaned. "Damn you Ron, why?!" Ron just sat there gaping like a fish, not knowing what to say.  
  
"I've liked...maybe loved you forever...ever since 2nd year." Hermione began. "I was positive you didn't like me though..."  
  
Ron interrupted, "but I..."  
  
"Shh...let me explain." Hermione stopped him. "So I started liking Harry, but he was so head over heels about Cho...and we all know that deep down he liked Ginny...I stopped liking him...and I began to like Draco...but, you know how that ended up tonight..." Hermione paused.  
  
"So when Ginny came up to me tonight, she told me that she asked Harry out. But Harry said no because he still liked me...so I came back up to the Common Room and talked with Harry and...and..." Hermione couldn't say the rest.  
  
"And...and wha?" Ron asked, on the verge of tears.  
  
"And...and...he asked me out...and...and...I said....I said..." Hermione sobbed.  
  
"Yes?" Ron guessed her answer. Hermione open her mouth to get the words out but all she could get out were sobs...so instead she just nodded "yes."  
  
Ron shed a single tear. He wiped it away quickly, hoping Hermione hadn't noticed, but she did, and it made her weep even harder.  
  
Ron stood up and looked down at Hermione. "I regret telling you that I love you...because I don't. Thank you for forcing me to see the truth...goodbye Hermione." Ron said in a forcibly distant tone. He walked out of the girl's dorms and slammed the door, making a portrait fall off the wall and the glass covering it shattered.  
  
Hermione watched Ron slam the door, watched the portrait fall, and watched the glass fall into a thousand pieces. Then she noticed that there was a piece of paper taped to the back of the portrait. She stood up, picked up the paper and unfolded it. It was a letter, a note...to herself.  
  
........  
  
Hermione had written this letter a long time ago, back in 3rd year. She read the words on the parchment slowly, having a hard time reading it since the paper was stained with tears and blood. It had said:  
  
_To whom it may concern,  
Tonight will be the last night I am alive. I wish I could explain, but I don't need your pity. You just need to understand why I did this. Ron...he did it, he was the one to do it to me. It's all his fault anyways. He might as well be the one to hold the dagger that will pierce my lonely, worthless, broken heart. I don't need to go into any great details...but I'll just say that I loved him, that's right, love...not that it matters now...I'll be dead in a little while. I'm sure that no one will care that I'm gone...the world is better off without me. Goodbye...  
Sincerely,  
Hermione Granger_  
  
Hermione had completely forgotten about that night. It had been the first and only time that she had ever cut her wrists. She could barely remember that night because she had blacked out right after she had realized what she had done.  
  
That night...she went to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and wrote the note. After she wrote the note, she took the dagger that she had found in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and put it up to her chest. She was about to pierce her heart when she came to her senses. She didn't really want to kill herself, she just wanted to rid the pain. So she put the dagger on her left wrist and slowly slit it across her veins. The blood ran like a river, Hermione remembered. She drifted in and out of consciousness that night. She barely remembered someone finding her and asking her what she had done...she barely remembered making the person swear not to tell a single soul...she barely remembered the person carrying her to the hospital wing and helping her stay alive...she barely remembered this person being none other than Draco Malfoy...  
  
Hermione looked up from reading the old letter, tears rushing down her face. She jumped backwards, dropping the letter, seeing someone standing in the doorway.  
  
"What's that?" The person said, pointing at the letter. "What's going on?" the person asked. Hermione was looking into the eyes of her new boyfriend...Harry...  
  
"It's nothing..." Hermione answered quickly, grabbing the letter and folding it back up.  
  
"Oh...alright..." Harry confused, "I just came up here to tell you goodnight...I'm going to bed."  
  
"Ok...'night!" Hermione replied nervously. Harry slowly turned and left the dorms, leaving Hermione sitting there all alone.  
  
Hermione remained sitting there for a while, holding the letter in her outstretched hand. She took out her wand and was about to perform a spell to put the glass back together when a sudden thought formed in her mind. She stood up, grabbed a rather large piece of sharp glass and put it in her pocket.  
  
She made her way out of the dorms and began running down the stairs when she bumped into the girls on the way. Hermione muttered her quick apologies to Lavender, Parvati and Ginny. Hermione avoided Ginny's eye, but immediately noticed that Ginny had been crying. Hermione was guessing it was because of Harry and Hermione.  
  
Hermione made sure that everyone was in their dorms and no one was left in the Common Room. She snuck out of the portrait hole and made her way silently down the halls. She finally got to her destination...Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.  
  
"Hello?" Hermione asked upon arriving to the bathroom. She felt relieved when she heard her voice echoing and there was no response. "Good...nobody needs to see me this way." Hermione thought to herself. "I don't want some stupid ghost moaning and whining in my ear anyways."  
  
She walked over to a sink and turned the hot water on full blast. She put her hands under the rushing water and screamed at the pain, it was so hot. She pulled her hands out and surveyed the damage she had done. Not enough...they had only turned pink and stung just a little. Hermione looked at herself in the mirror and criticized what she saw. She didn't like it in the least. She put her hand into her pocket and grabbed the piece of glass. She looked back into the mirror and whispered, "I only deserve it..."  
  
She looked at her left wrist and rubbed the scar from her first cutting. Hermione put the glass up to the old scar and slowly, pushed it into her skin. She closed her eyes tight, hoping it was all a dream...a nightmare... Then she felt it sting. She opened her eyes and watched the blood flow onto her baby blue dress robes which she was still wearing from the Ball. The red blood blossomed on her sleeve and glistened in the candlelight.  
  
Then she heard footsteps; someone was coming. She suddenly realized that the water was still running and was louder than ever.  
  
"Bloody hell!" someone yelled, seeing Hermione in the bathroom. "Damn it, Granger I thought we went through this years ago!" It was Draco Malfoy...  
  
Hermione dropped the piece of glass she was holding in her right hand and she just stood there, her outstretched left arm dripping blood onto the floor.  
  
"Hermione...?" Draco asked seeing the glazed look in her eyes.  
  
Hermione just sighed and crumpled to the floor with a soft thud.  
  
........  
  
_**A/N:** Please Review!_


	10. It Has Begun

_**Disclaimer:** Credit goes to JK Rowling...(and a few other companies, people, etc. who probably own a little bit of The Boy Who Lived...)  
  
**A/N:** This was my first fanfic EVER. I wrote this about two years ago, WAAAAY before OOTP, so there are a lot of things that won't fit in with canon. My writing was horrible, and I switched back and forth between plot lines...but I still think this is a pretty darn good story. However, it is the only thing I have EVER completed in all the fanfics I've ever tried to write...so I thought I'd just post it online...It is a love triangle sort of thing...Hermione likes Harry, Ron, and there's some Draco in there too...so if you don't like this...then don't read it... Well, enjoy my REALLY old fanfic...  
  
**Chapter Ten - It Has Begun...**_  
  
"Oh...my...god..." Draco gasped, running over to Hermione. He sat her up on the floor next to him and then held her in his arms.  
  
"Oh god Hermione, why'd you do it this time? Come on, wake up! Rise and shine!" Draco was starting to get really worried. Draco looked over and saw the piece off glass lying a foot away. He reached over and grabbed the glass. He grabbed the hem of his gray dress robes and cut off a large piece of cloth, using the glass. He lifted up Hermione's arm and began to wrap the cloth tightly around her wound. When he went to tie the cloth, he accidentally touched her arm and got blood onto his pale skin. Where the blood had touched his arm, it had started to turn a sickly green.  
  
Draco panicked and quickly stood up. He knew what he had to do. He bent down and picked up Hermione. He carried her and ran as fast as he could to the Hospital Wing.  
  
He burst into the room and laid Hermione down on the nearest bed. Draco looked up and saw Madam Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore already in the room. He didn't notice that they were standing over two beds next, both of which had people in them...people with red hair...  
  
......  
  
"Help, she's hurt!" Draco shrieked, then looked down at his green arm. "I'm hurt!"  
  
Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore walked over to Hermione's bed, not saying a word. They didn't ask any questions or anything. It was as if they already knew.  
  
"Well, come on, help her, please!" Draco cried. Madam Pomfrey took one look at Dumbledore then at Hermione's bleeding wrist, then at Draco's green arm. She gasped, put one hand over her mouth and the other hand over her heart. She took two steps back and gasped again like she couldn't breathe. What could shock her that much?  
  
"Oh dear..." She murmured.  
  
Dumbledore looked Draco in his gray eyes. The twinkle was gone form Dumbledore's eyes, his face filled with sadness and fear...  
  
He opened his mouth very little and forced the words out..."It has begun..."  
  
Draco had no clue what he was talking about.  
  
"What's begun?" He asked impatiently.  
  
"You don't know?" Dumbledore inquired, looking suspiciously at Draco.  
  
"No..."  
  
"Someone has been planning something...and now it has begun..."  
  
"What's begun? Who's planning it? What's going to happen?" Draco asked.  
  
"I only know how it would start, I do not know how this will end. I do not know who is planning it either."  
  
"Then...how...?" Draco began but the stopped, he didn't want to know. Madam Pomfrey had left to go get medicine and other supplies so she could tend to Hermione. Dumbledore followed her.  
  
Draco could here them arguing in the next room, though he could not distinguish their words. He sat down on Hermione's bed and held her right hand.  
  
"I've never seen you so weak..." He whispered and noticed that Hermione was slowly opening her eyes. "...so helpless..."  
  
"What do you want?" Hermione croaked.  
  
"I want...you." Draco answered.  
  
Hermione moved her hand so that Draco wasn't holding it anymore. She looked over at the beds on the opposite side of the room. The people in the beds were Ron and Ginny.  
  
"What the--" Hermione wondered, seeing them and sitting up.  
  
At that moment, Madam Pomfrey came back in and began tending to Hermione, without saying a word.  
  
"Should I leave?" Draco asked, and Madam Pomfrey just nodded.  
  
"But what about my arm? It doesn't hurt, It's just...green..."  
  
"Just wash it well, it should disappear within the hour...if it doesn't, come back to see me." She replied, not looking up from Hermione's wrist.  
  
Draco nodded and stood up and looked at Hermione.  
  
"Forgive me..." He begged.  
  
Hermione looked in the other direction and began tearing up as she spoke. "Some things will never change..."  
  
Draco turned without saying another word and watched his feet as he left the room.  
  
"Why me?" Hermione sobbed when the door was closed.  
  
Madam Pomfrey finished tending to Hermione and gave her a sleeping draft that would help heal her faster, She immediately feel asleep and had a dream...  
  
.....  
  
Hermione was in the Great Hall, which was completely bare of students or teachers. There was no food, no decorations, no nothing. She was sitting at the Gryffindor table when an owl flew into the hall and dropped a letter and a small package in front of her. Hermione reached up and opened the envelope containing the letter.  
  
_ My dearest Hermione,  
Meet me in the trophy room tonight at 10 o'clock. Make sure no one knows you're coming...it's a secret.  
With all my Love,  
Ron_  
  
Hermione folded the letter back up, smiling to herself and wondering why it's a secret. She then slowly picked up the box, shaking it to guess what is inside. She opened it up and there was another box packed inside. She opened up the second box and again there was another box inside. She opened up the third box and this one was empty...or so it seemed. Hermione put her hand in to make sure nothing was in there.  
  
"Maybe it's invisible..." She thought to herself.  
  
Then she felt a sharp pain, Hermione quickly pulled her hand out of the box and noticed it was bleeding uncontrollably. She took a peek inside the box and saw a piece of glass in there with blood on the edge of it. She hadn't seen it before because it was clear.  
  
"I hope you enjoy it, Mudblood." Came a voice out of no where. Hermione quickly looked up, holding her hand where it was cut. "It's what you want isn't it?" The voice went on. She looked up and saw Ron standing close to the Gryffindor Table. "Well? Aren't you going to thank me?" He said sarcastically.  
  
Hermione looked up at him feeling the sting of the tears that were welling up in her eyes. Then her mouth opened and the words came out as if someone was forcing her to say it.  
  
"Thank you..."  
  
.....  
  
Harry woke up early on a cool crisp Saturday morning. He opened up his hangings and saw Ron fast asleep. Harry got up and tiptoed over to Ron's bed.  
  
"Wake up you lazy bum!" Harry yelled in Ron's ear.  
  
Ron sat up instantly, his eyes wide open and drool across his chin. Harry saw the drool and began laughing.  
  
"Wha?" Ron asked, wiping it off his face.  
  
"Come on, if you want to try out for the team, you gotta come to practice, which by the way starts in twenty minutes, so get a move on will you?" Harry replied impatiently.  
  
Ron got out of bed and rubbed the sleep out of his eye, grumbling about Harry. He wondered if he actually wanted to be on the team or not, if Harry was going to be his captain. Thankfully, Harry was too busy getting himself dressed that he didn't hear Ron's complaining.  
  
"Have you seen Hermione?" Harry asked out of the blue.  
  
"No...I haven't." Ron answered, feeling an ache in his heart, remembering last night and how he had told Hermione he loved her, and the fact that they were now dating.  
  
"Where were you last night? I heard you come in during the middle of the night..." Harry asked.  
  
Ron was getting annoyed with all of Harry's questions. "No where."  
  
"No really, where were you?"  
  
"Ugh, fine."  
  
"Ok..." Harry pressed on.  
  
"I was in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey only needed me for a checkup. I was hoping no one would notice I was gone, so I went at night and snuck back in, but you saw me, so I guess my plan didn't work..."  
  
"Why did you need a checkup? Why did you want to sneak?"  
  
"Shut up Harry, alright?"  
  
"Well...have you seen Ginny lately? She was gone last night too..."  
  
"She was in there with me, ok?"  
  
"Visiting you?"  
  
"No...getting a checkup."  
  
"Oh...alright..."  
  
There was an awkward silence...then Harry left the room to wake everyone else up. Ron began to feel nauseated. He wanted to tell Harry his secret, but he couldn't. But a little voice kept saying in the back of his mind..."He'll have to find out sooner or later. Or he won't understand why you'll be dead..." Ron shook off the thought and finished dressing.  
  
........  
  
_**A/N:** Please Review!_


	11. Anonymous Message

_**Disclaimer:** Credit goes to JK Rowling...(and a few other companies, people, etc. who probably own a little bit of The Boy Who Lived...)  
  
**A/N:** This was my first fanfic EVER. I wrote this about two years ago, WAAAAY before OOTP, so there are a lot of things that won't fit in with canon. My writing was horrible, and I switched back and forth between plot lines...but I still think this is a pretty darn good story. However, it is the only thing I have EVER completed in all the fanfics I've ever tried to write...so I thought I'd just post it online...It is a love triangle sort of thing...Hermione likes Harry, Ron, and there's some Draco in there too...so if you don't like this...then don't read it... Well, enjoy my REALLY old fanfic...  
  
**Chapter Eleven - Anonymous Message**_  
  
Harry, and the rest of the former Gryffindor Quidditch team, as well as Ron, Neville, and even Lavender and Parvati made their way down to the Great Hall to catch a quick bite to eat. Ron, Neville, Lavender, and Parvati were all trying out to become the new Gryffindor Keeper since Oliver had graduated.  
  
"Ok, first I'm going to let everyone try out for Keeper first." Harry began his first speech since he had become captain. "When we have our new Keeper, then we'll begin our practice...alright team?" Everyone nodded in agreement.  
  
First up was Neville. "This is going to be a joke!" Lavender teased, opening up a new edition of the most popular magazine in the Muggle world.  
  
"Oh I know! What's the point of him even being here?!" Parvati laughed, opening a bottle of glittery pink nail polish to paint her fingernails.  
  
"Even though Neville isn't that talented, you still shouldn't treat him like that..." Ron retorted.  
  
"Oh what do you know?" Parvati looked up and glared at him.  
  
"Yeah, shut up Ron!" Lavender said without looking up.  
  
"Why do you read that anyways?" Ron asked. "It's a Muggle magazine...how stupid."  
  
Lavender looked up at Ron. "Do you want a present?"  
  
"Uh....sure?" Ron replied uncertainly.  
  
Lavender smiled and flicked him off. "Enjoy."  
  
Ron returned the smile. "I'll definitely enjoy it if it's with you."  
  
"Oh god..." Lavender rolled her eyes.  
  
"Fuck you." Parvati scowled.  
  
"Yes! three-some!" Ron joked.  
  
"Ok you three, cut the crap." Harry interrupted. "Neville, come on, get on your broom, show me what you got."  
  
So for the next hour Harry and the rest of the team watched everyone try out.  
  
"I've talked it over with the rest of the team, and I've based my decision on talent, skill, determination, and enthusiasm." Harry said. "I believe that the person I have chosen will be a great addition to the team and will help us greatly to win the Cup this year. Gryffindor's new Keeper is..."  
  
At that moment Professor McGonagall came running out onto the field. "Mr. Potter! Mr. Potter!" She kept yelling.  
  
"What is it Professor?" Harry asked when she got to them.  
  
"I'm so sorry Mr. Potter but you all must get inside the castle immediately." She looked very worried.  
  
"But why?" Parvati asked.  
  
"This is very serious Miss Patil." McGonagall frowned. "Someone sent a Hogwarts Owl to Dumbledore with an anonymous message. They said that they know for certain that someone is going to come to Hogwarts and attack someone else. They didn't say who or when, but we are going to play it safe and make sure that everyone is accounted for. Please, get up to the Common Room." McGonagall stayed around while everyone gathered their belongings quickly and then escorted the group back to the Gryffindor Common Room. No one uttered a word while they made their way back to the castle.  
  
"Ron..." Harry said suddenly.  
  
"What?" Ron replied.  
  
"No...I just was saying...the new Gryffindor Keeper is you, Ron."  
  
"Really?" Ron asked, a big grin appearing across his face.  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Thanks, Harry."  
  
"No...don't thank me, you deserve it more than anyone."  
  
Lavender and Parvati were outraged and gave Ron and Harry the silent treatment.  
  
When they finally got back up to the Common Room, McGonagall stopped Ron and Harry from going inside, but let everyone else in.  
  
"I wanted to talk to you to alone...about two things." She said soberly. "Did you know about Miss Granger?"  
  
"What about her?" Harry asked quickly.  
  
"She is in the Hospital Wing."  
  
Harry looked over at Ron who had been speechless since Harry had told Ron that he was Keeper.  
  
"You were in the Hospital Wing last night, why didn't you tell me she was in there?" Harry inquired angrily.  
  
"I didn't see her! It's the truth!" Ron responded truthfully.  
  
"She slit her wrist..." McGonagall interrupted.  
  
"What?!" Harry and Ron exclaimed at the same time.  
  
McGonagall put up her finger to silence them. "Was she suicidal in any way?"  
  
"No..." Ron replied.  
  
"Not that we know of..." Harry said.  
  
"Alright well, if you would wait inside the Common Room, I will retrieve her and bring her back." McGonagall said and Harry and Ron began walking inside the Portrait Hole.  
  
"Wait...you need to know this as well..." McGonagall said.  
  
"Yes...?" Harry turned around.  
  
"Ginny Weasley is missing."  
  
Ron turned around at this.  
  
"She's been missing since last night..." She nodded over to Ron and lowered her voice.  
  
"The last time anyone saw her was when she left the Hospital Wing last night...but as you know Ron, she left about ten minutes before you did...so something had to of happened within those ten minutes before you left Ron..."  
  
"But..." Harry began.  
  
"Don't worry, we have people out looking for here as we speak. We'll find her...I hope..." McGonagall assured them and left.  
  
Harry and Ron made their way inside and sat down in their usual spots by the fireplace. There were two people missing, both Hermione and Ginny. They usually sat with Harry and Ron as well.  
  
"I wonder what happened to Ginny..." Ron asked.  
  
"She'll be fine...I know it..." Harry replied.  
  
"I sure hope so..."  
  
There was an awkward pause.  
  
"Don't say anything to Hermione about her wrist," Harry said quietly. "It might upset her..."  
  
Ron was staring out into space thinking, and he just nodded...  
  
........  
  
Draco had experienced a nightmare the night before. He dreamed that he was at his mansion, he was home. He was sitting in his bedroom writing a letter to Hermione, the love of his life. Then his father, Lucius had burst into his room. He was lecturing Draco about school and other such nonsense. Then he saw the letter on Draco's desk. Lucius read the letter and then turned to Draco.  
  
"Draco...is this a love letter?" He asked maliciously. Draco refused to answer.  
  
"I don't want my son to be associating with people like her. People who are filthy like her. People who are unworthy like her..." Lucius spat. "If you ever fall in love with a girl like that, she will die. I guarantee it. Her blood will drip onto your skin, and turn it green. If that happens, I will hunt you and the girl down. Am I clear, Draco?"  
  
"Crystal..."  
  
That's when Draco woke up from his nightmare and suddenly realized what exactly has begun. His father hadn't really threatened him like that, it was just a nightmare. Draco looked down at his arm, it was its normal color again...but he was frightened, knowing that his father is going to hunt him down and Hermione as well.  
  
"He can't do anything to me...he can't kill Hermione...it was just a stupid dream, that's all. Draco muttered aloud. But a little voice inside his head made itself heard..."But Dumbledore knows..." So that morning, Draco had sent the anonymous message to Dumbledore. Draco was scared for his life...and Hermione's...  
  
........  
  
_**A/N:** Please Review!_


	12. Interrogations, Butterflies, and Curses

_**Disclaimer:** Credit goes to JK Rowling...(and a few other companies, people, etc. who probably own a little bit of The Boy Who Lived...)  
  
**A/N:** This was my first fanfic EVER. I wrote this about two years ago, WAAAAY before OOTP, so there are a lot of things that won't fit in with canon. My writing was horrible, and I switched back and forth between plot lines...but I still think this is a pretty darn good story. However, it is the only thing I have EVER completed in all the fanfics I've ever tried to write...so I thought I'd just post it online...It is a love triangle sort of thing...Hermione likes Harry, Ron, and there's some Draco in there too...so if you don't like this...then don't read it... Well, enjoy my REALLY old fanfic...  
  
**Chapter Twelve - Interrogations, Butterflies, and Curses**  
_  
Harry and Ron sat quietly in the Common Room waiting for Hermione to get back or word of Ginny. The Common Room was deserted but Harry and Ron still didn't say anything to each other. After about twenty minutes, Harry had said goodnight and went to bed. Only a few moments later Hermione came back into the Common Room, not only looking better and well-rested, but just downright cheerful.  
  
"Hey Ron!" She said pleasantly.  
  
Ron just sat there on the couch. Hermione went over and sat down on the couch opposite of him and looked at him strangely.  
  
"Are you alright?" She asked.  
  
Ron just stared out into space.  
  
"What's up with you?!" She asked.  
  
"Hermione, I need answers." Ron replied.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Are you suicidal?" Ron asked.  
  
"No." Hermione responded without pausing.  
  
"Do you cut often?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Are you still friends with Malfoy?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Do you love Harry?"  
  
"No."  
  
Ron sat back, thinking about her answer. Hermione had to think for a second, she was confused.  
  
"I...I was on a roll, I meant to say yes! It's just you were asking me all these questions that my answer was no...I...I..." Hermione stuttered.  
  
"I understand..." Ron interrupted, not facing Hermione. "Do you really love him?"  
  
Hermione had to stop and think. She sighed, "No..."  
  
"I didn't think so..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Then why are you dating him?"  
  
"I...dunno..."  
  
"Yes you do..."  
  
"Because I was hurt alright!"  
  
"Hurt...how?"  
  
"Just drop it, ok?"  
  
"I'm not dropping it."  
  
"Well you're not going to get any answers from me then." Hermione said, sitting back on the couch and folding her arms.  
  
"Hermione...tell me why you cut."  
  
"Because I can that's why."  
  
"So what made you do it?"  
  
"Ron, it's none of your business."  
  
"Sure it is."  
  
"And why would it?"  
  
"Because I think I'm the reason."  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes and faked a laugh, "Ha, don't be silly."  
  
"I'm serious."  
  
"So am I."  
  
"No you're not."  
  
Hermione just sat there looking at Ron until finally she confessed.  
  
"Fine, whatever. I was pushed over the edge."  
  
"And why was that?"  
  
"I was confused."  
  
"Oh...so did I cause it?" Hermione didn't say anything, and she wasn't making eye contact either. "Well...?"  
  
"Not really...just drop it ok?"  
  
"Ok..."  
  
Ron and Hermione just sat there in silence until Hermione got up to go to bed.  
  
"I'm tired, see you in the morning." She said, yawning.  
  
"Hermione, wait..." Ron blurted without thinking.  
  
But Hermione kept walking; she had already rounded the corner and had begun walking up the stairs when Ron said something again.  
  
"Hermione, I'm dying." He said, sounding more like he was pleading rather than making a statement.  
  
Hermione froze where she was; she turned around and tiptoed down the stairs. She peeked around the corner, as if she was scared to find out the truth. She ever so slowly made her way back to the couch and sat back down without uttering a sound.  
  
"I have cancer... Leukemia..." Ron said calmly. "Ginny has it too...it runs in the family..."  
  
Hermione's mouth was open like a gaping fish; she had no clue what to say, she slowly began to cry.  
  
"Madam Pomfrey is working on getting a cure; she says she's really close to it. So...I may live...Ginny may live..."  
  
"But...you can't die, you...you just can't." Hermione wept.  
  
"Hermione...I couldn't keep it from you any longer..." Ron tried to sound soothing but it only made Hermione weep even more.  
  
Ron stood up and switched couches so now he was sitting next to Hermione. Hermione cried on Ron's shoulder, and Ron hugged her. "I'll be all right..."  
  
Hermione looked up from Ron's shoulder and saw a Monarch butterfly. She pulled away from Ron and took a closer look at it. The butterfly had landed on Ron's shoulder.  
  
"What is it, Hermione?"  
  
Hermione just looked curiously at the butterfly, Hermione stretched out her finger and the butterfly flew over and landed on it.  
  
"It's beautiful...don't you think? Hermione said quietly, looking at the butterfly on her finger and still sniffling.  
  
"Not really..." Ron replied.  
  
"You don't think so?"  
  
"No...not compared to something so beautiful as you..."  
  
Hermione smiled. "Can I ask you a question?"  
  
"Anything."  
  
"Did you mean what you said?"  
  
"What did I say?"  
  
"Last night...how you loved me..."  
  
"Yes...I meant it."  
  
"Then why did you say you regretted telling me?"  
  
"Because you loved Harry...I just poured my heart and soul out to you and you just blew me off for Harry."  
  
"But I didn't..."  
  
"It sure did feel like it."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"It's ok."  
  
"No it's not, Ron." Hermione looked Ron in the eye again. "Because I don't love Harry..."  
  
"Well does he know that?" Ron asked, trying to look Hermione in the eye. But he couldn't, every time he looked in her eyes, he felt as if he would melt...he felt that if he looked into her eyes, that he would forget to speak. Ron tried with all the strength he had in him to look Hermione in the eye, but he couldn't.  
  
"No...he doesn't know."  
  
"Well he has a right to..."  
  
"I know..."  
  
"Then do something about it."  
  
"I can't Ron, I dunno how..."  
  
"Oh don't give me that bullshit, 'Mione!" Ron exclaimed, rolling his eyes. She just looked at him funny. "Herm...you are the smartest person I know...don't tell me you don't know how!"  
  
"I really don't Ron. Intelligence doesn't give me the right to screw around with relationships! I don't want me and Harry's friendship to be ruined over a wrong choice that I foolishly made."  
  
"Well, I'll help you. I don't want your all's friendship to change either...it would be awkward...you know?" Ron replied.  
  
"You're the greatest. Thanks, Ron." Hermione said and reached over and hugged Ron.  
  
Their hug lasted for quite a while. Both Ron and Hermione seemed to not want to let go...ever. They felt at ease in each other's arms...but it was more like a brotherly-sisterly embrace than a romantic one.  
  
Hermione was definitely falling head over heels for Ron again, but she just didn't want to make anymore mistakes. And Ron was obviously madly in love with Hermione, they just didn't know how to accept each other. They both knew how the other felt, they just didn't know how to handle the situation, they were both too scared, too frightened to ruin their friendship.  
  
"Ron..." Hermione began softly and pulled away from him.  
  
"Shh..." Ron already knew what to do. Now was his chance, the only time he could really prove his love to Hermione. It was now or never.  
  
Ron slowly leaned in to kiss Hermione. Hermione closed her eyes, waiting for when Ron's lips would touch her own. It seemed like an eternity, then finally, they barely touched. Just a peck...but the attraction between them had reached an all time high. They stopped for a second, looked in each other's eyes, then closed their eyes, ready to kiss again.  
  
"Ahem." Someone coughed from the other side of the room. Ron and Hermione pulled apart slowly and Hermione rested her forehead on Ron's. She didn't want to look away to see who it was. Actually, she didn't care who it was. But Ron had looked and saw who it was, then suddenly pulled away.  
  
"Oh god..." Ron moaned, seeing who it was. Hermione slowly turned her head to see who it was who had coughed.  
  
Standing there, by the stairs, leading up to the boy's dormitories...was Harry.  
  
He just stood there, staring at Ron and Hermione, silently fuming with rage. You could see the fire in his green eyes.  
  
"Harry...I...I can explain!" Hermione begged.  
  
"Then by all means...explain!" Harry shouted.  
  
"Well...see...I...uh..." Hermione stuttered.  
  
"I kissed her." Ron interrupted.  
  
"Oh really?" Harry asked, not convinced.  
  
"Harry...I...I love you, I wouldn't ever cheat on you." Hermione said before stopping herself.  
  
"I think you're lying." Harry responded.  
  
"I think you're being irrational, Harry." Ron retorted.  
  
"Irrational? IRRATIONAL?!" Harry yelled. "You kissed my girlfriend!"  
  
"It meant nothing to me!" Hermione screamed. Ron heard her say this and felt horrible, if their kiss was all in vain, then he really did make a mistake. Ron was heartbroken.  
  
"You're lying!" Harry shouted at Hermione. "I can see it in your eyes! The way you look at Ron, I can tell you love him! And the same goes for Ron! I can see the way he's madly in love with you!"  
  
"But...Harry I love you!"  
  
"Are you sincere?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
There was a pause.  
  
"You're lying..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I heard your whole conversation with Ron..."  
  
"Were you spying on us?"  
  
"Well it was kind of hard not to hear you...I've never heard anyone talk so loud before in my life...especially about matters like you guys were talking about."  
  
Then out of nowhere, the same Monarch butterfly flew back into the room. It landed on Ron's shoulder. Hermione saw the butterfly and reached out to touch it.  
  
Ron decided to say something, not noticing Hermione. "So...you heard the whole thing?" "All of it...even the part where..." Harry cut himself off, like it would be hard to say..."even the part where Hermione said she didn't love me."  
  
Hermione started crying. Ron put his arm around Hermione to comfort her...it was a habit. Harry got fed up with it. He was tired of Hermione crying all the time. He was tired of Ron always being there for her...he needed to do something...  
  
Harry stomped his way over to the couch where Ron and Hermione were, when he got close enough to touch Hermione, he lifted up his arm to hit her...  
  
Then unexpectedly, there was a blinding light. Materializing in front of their very eyes was Ginny Weasley.  
  
"Ginny...?" Ron asked, seeing her stand up in front of him.  
  
"Where....where...?" Hermione stuttered.  
  
Harry was just standing there speechless with his hand still up in the air, ready to hit Hermione.  
  
Ginny walked over to Harry and grabbed his wrist; slowly making him put it down next to him. "I can't let you do this..." She said.  
  
"W--Wha?" Ron asked.  
  
Hermione looked at Ron's shoulder and noticed the butterfly was gone. "Ginny! You're a...a...!"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why didn't you tell us?" Hermione sniffed, sitting up and wiping her tears away.  
  
"I just wanted to keep it secret I guess..." Ginny said softly.  
  
There was a pause.  
  
"Ok...now for the dumber people in this room...what exactly IS Ginny?" Ron asked looking back and forth from Hermione to his sister.  
  
"I'm an animagus." Ginny replied calmly.  
  
Both Harry's and Ron's jaws dropped to the floor.  
  
"Why didn't I know about this?" Ron asked angrily.  
  
"Like I said...I just wanted to keep it a secret."  
  
"Do Mum and Dad know?"  
  
"Doubt it..."  
  
Harry finally came to his senses. "I'll get you some other time, Hermione." He said through clenched teeth, pointing a finger at Hermione. "Then and only then will you get what you deserve." He stomped off towards the boy's dormitories.  
  
........  
  
Hermione, Ron, and Ginny all looked at each other like Harry was crazy. They didn't say much after that but they just sat there wondering what to do or what to say.  
  
After a while Ron said goodnight and went up to bed leaving Ginny and Hermione alone in the common room. They sat there in awkward silence until Ginny broke the peace.  
  
"Hermione, I need to show you something." She said, standing up and walking over towards the portrait hole.  
  
"What is it?" Hermione asked.  
  
"It's a surprise." Ginny grinned and walked out of the common room. Hermione didn't like that grin. It wasn't like Ginny to do something like this, but Hermione followed Ginny out of the common room anyways.  
  
Once Hermione got outside of the common room, she looked around for Ginny, who had disappeared.  
  
"Ginny, you out here? Ginny?"  
  
No answer...then...  
  
"Imperio!" someone behind her yelled.  
  
Hermione was put under the Imperious Curse. Ginny walked out of the shadows to look at what her spell had done.  
  
"Yes, it worked." She muttered to herself, putting her wand back into her pocket.  
  
Ginny led Hermione down to the Entrance Hall and outside onto the grounds. Ginny made Hermione get a stick and push the knot on the Whomping Willow. Ginny led Hermione down the passageway and into the Shrieking Shack on the other side.  
  
There was a fire in the fireplace on the other side of the room. Someone was sitting in a chair next to the fireplace. The flames from the fire plastered the person's silhouette onto the wall.  
  
"I have her, Master." Ginny said in a voice most unlike her own.  
  
"Good. And where is the boy?" The person in the chair responded. It was a man's voice, Hermione recognized the voice. Even though she was under the Imperious Curse, she still knew something wasn't right, but she just wasn't able to resist it.  
  
"Harry?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Yes, him." The man retorted.  
  
"He is in his dormitories."  
  
"And the other?"  
  
"Also in the dorms."  
  
"Good...good...and how about my son?"  
  
Ginny paused before answering.  
  
"I don't know, Master."  
  
"You don't know?" The person was getting angry. "You don't know?" He repeated.  
  
"No sir, I don't." Ginny whimpered.  
  
"Then your task is not complete! And I am most unhappy!"  
  
"I'm sorry, Master, so sorry."  
  
"You aren't sorry...yet."  
  
Ginny moaned and backed away to the wall behind her, opposite the wall with the fireplace.  
  
The man in the chair stood up and put his hand into his robes. He slowly retrieved his wand and lifted it up.  
  
"Crucio!" The man bellowed.  
  
A wave of sparks emitted from his wand and lit up the Shack. Hermione could see the man's face...Lucius Malfoy.  
  
Malfoy's curse flew across the room and hit Ginny. She fell to the floor with a thud and was unconscious. Hermione, was left standing, ghostly pale, and next to Ginny's writhing body.  
  
Lucius laughed, thoroughly enjoying the sight of Ginny experiencing excruciating pain; and laughing at the sight of Hermione's expression. Hermione had snapped out of the Imperious Curse and was staring down at Ginny as if she were already dead. Hermione looked up at Lucius not knowing what to do.  
  
Lucius waved his arm in the air and Ginny stopped squirming. Hermione immediately bent down next to Ginny to see if she was ok.  
  
Lucius let out a laugh. Then another, and another; until finally he was laughing like a madman. If looks could kill, Hermione's look at Lucius could have killed him right there. She stared up at him, wishing he would just fall over and die. She was so angry, she could have even...murdered him.  
  
While Lucius was laughing, Hermione looked over and saw Ginny's wand lying on the floor next to her. Hermione hadn't brought her own wand, so she reached over and grabbed Ginny's. She lifted up the wand and pointed it at Lucius.  
  
"Avada---" Hermione began.  
  
"Silly girl." Lucius interrupted. Hermione just stared at him. "Let's see how you like it."  
  
Hermione dropped Ginny's wand. "Please don't...no...please." She murmured.  
  
"Crucio!" Lucius shouted and Hermione felt the spell hit her. She fell over, faintly breathing.  
  
........  
  
_**A/N:** Please Review!_


	13. Eternally Linked By Hate

_**Disclaimer:** Credit goes to JK Rowling...(and a few other companies, people, etc. who probably own a little bit of The Boy Who Lived...)  
  
**A/N:** This was my first fanfic **EVER.** I wrote this about two years ago, WAAAAY before OOTP, so there are a lot of things that won't fit in with canon. My writing was horrible, and I switched back and forth between plot lines...but I still think this is a pretty darn good story. However, it is the only thing I have EVER completed in all the fanfics I've ever tried to write...so I thought I'd just post it online...It is a love triangle sort of thing...Hermione likes Harry, Ron, and there's some Draco in there too...so if you don't like this...then don't read it... Well, enjoy my **REALLY** old fanfic...  
  
**Chapter Thirteen - Eternally Linked By Hate**  
_  
Ron woke up the next morning to Neville snoring, as usual. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. Ron looked over and saw that Harry wasn't in bed. Ron dressed and went down to the common room. Sitting by the fire was Lavender and Harry, chatting quietly.  
  
"Good morning, Lavender." Ron said, ignoring the fact that Harry was in there. However, Harry didn't seem to mind too much, he didn't speak to Ron either.  
  
"'Morning, Ron." Lavender replied. "Have you seen Hermione or Ginny?"  
  
"No...why are you asking me?" Ron answered suspiciously, looking over at Harry.  
  
"Well, neither of them came to bed last night."  
  
"Oh really, now?" Ron raised his eyebrows and gave a furtive stare in Harry's direction.  
  
"I didn't do anything!" Harry blurted, noticing Ron who kept looking over at Harry.  
  
"Uh huh, right." Ron retorted disbelievingly.  
  
Lavender just looked between the two of them and then shook her head. "Well, breakfast anyone?"  
  
"No thanks, I'll stay here." Harry said, grabbing his Divination homework and started "predicting" what was going to happen to him in the next month.  
  
Ron saw this and felt a pain in his heart. Harry and Ron always made up their predictions together. But Ron paid no attention to his heart right now, he was hungry, and his stomach was all that mattered.  
  
Lavender and Ron left Harry and walked down to the Great Hall.  
  
........  
  
Hermione woke up that morning tied up and gagged in a chair. Lucius was standing over her poking her shoulder to get her to wake up.  
  
"I have a task for you." He croaked. Hermione just stared at him with hatred. He took the cloth out of her mouth. "We can do this either the easy way, or the hard way...you choose."  
  
Hermione never broke eye contact with him but didn't say a word.  
  
"I guess you choose the hard way." Lucius smirked and lifted up his wand. Hermione flinched and closed her eyes, too afraid of what he was going to do.  
  
"Imperio!" He yelled.  
  
........  
  
An hour later, Hermione walked into the Great Hall and sat down right as Lavender and Ron walked into the Hall.  
  
"There you are, 'Mione! Where have you been?" Ron asked as he sat down across from her and Lavender sat down next to her.  
  
"No where...what do you mean?" Hermione asked, smiling, but not looking quite like herself.  
  
"Uh...nothing, never mind." Lavender interrupted giving a sharp look in Ron's direction.  
  
They ate, talking normally, for a little while. Hermione finished eating and looked up and saw Draco Malfoy sitting at the Slytherin table all alone. She got up quickly and started walking off to speak to Draco.  
  
"Herm...where are you going?" Lavender asked.  
  
"Um...I have to talk to someone and then go do an experiment." She lied.  
  
"What kind of experiment?" Ron inquired.  
  
"Um...for Herbology...I'm studying the Whomping Willow. I have to go now." Hermione said stiffly, and walked over to the Slytherin table.  
  
"We need to talk, Draco." She said and led him out of the Great Hall.  
  
"Yeah? About what?" He dispiritedly.  
  
"Well, I need to show you something." Hermione said, grinning. Draco rolled his eyes.  
  
"I'm not in the mood, just get to the point." He frowned.  
  
"Follow me and you'll find out." Hermione ran off up the stairs.  
  
"Hermione, wait!" Draco shouted and followed her up the stairs.  
  
They got up to the Gryffindor Common Room.  
  
"What exactly...are we doing here?" Draco panted, clutching his side.  
  
"Firebolt." Hermione said the password and the Portrait Hole flung open. "Come on!" Hermione waved for him to follow.  
  
"This isn't a good idea...I'm not a Gryffindor." Draco said hesitantly.  
  
"Duh! That's the point!" Hermione giggled and stepped inside the Common Room. Draco followed, but reluctantly.  
  
Luckily the only people inside the Common Room at the time were Harry and Neville.  
  
"Hello Neville!" Hermione squeaked, ignoring Harry, who ignored her back.  
  
"Hello." Neville replied, looking over at Draco. "What's he...?" He cut himself off, too scared of the answer.  
  
Hermione ran off up the stairs, giggling like mad. Draco rolled his eyes and ran after her.  
  
"Hermione, are you...high?"  
  
"Don't be ridiculous, Draco, I'm just under the Imperious Curse." Hermione smiled and slowly opened the door to the boys' dormitories.  
  
"Ha ha, good one, Imperious Curse..." Draco laughed and followed her inside.  
  
Hermione tiptoed over to Harry's bed and sat down on the floor next to his trunk. She opened it up and began rummaging inside.  
  
"What exactly are you looking for?" Draco asked curiously.  
  
"Harry's Invisibility cloak." Hermione responded distractedly.  
  
"Potter has an Invisibility cloak?"  
  
"Sure does!"  
  
"Right...and what are you going to do with it?"  
  
"You'll see, come on!" Hermione said, grabbing the cloak and running out of the room.  
  
"Crazy..." Draco muttered and followed her out.  
  
Hermione stuffed the cloak in her robes and ran down to the Common Room. When she got down there, Ron and Lavender were inside the Common Room .  
"Hello Ron...Lavender!" Hermione said casually.  
  
"Hello..." they answered in unison.  
  
When Draco walked down the stairs, Ron looked at him suspiciously.  
  
"What are you doing, Malfoy?"  
  
"Shut your trap, Weasely."  
  
Without saying goodbye, Hermione ran out of the Common Room, with Draco trailing her.  
  
When they left, Ron got up and walked up to the boys' dormitories. When he walked in he saw Harry's trunk wide open. He just bent down and started to close it when he saw the Marauder's Map. He lifted it up and watched two little dots labeled Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy run down the stairs and into the Entrance Hall; he watched where they were headed to.  
  
........  
  
"Hermione, where are we going?!" Draco yelled, running down the stairs after her.  
  
"Just trust me!" Hermione shouted, skipping a stair every time she took a step.  
  
Once they got down to the Entrance Hall, Hermione went over and opened the doors to the grounds. She waited for Draco and then stepped outside.  
  
"Hermione, what..."  
  
"I've said it a billion times already! Just follow me!" Hermione said and ran over to the Whomping Willow. She got a stick and prodded the knot on it to make it freeze. She led Draco down into the passageway and led him all the way up to the Shrieking Shack.  
  
"I'm back." Hermione said when they got into the Shack.  
  
"Who are you talk---" Draco whispered but was interrupted by Hermione.  
  
"I have the Invisibility Cloak." Hermione stated.  
  
"Good...and my son?" Lucius responded; he was sitting in the same chair as he was yesterday.  
  
"He's here as well." Hermione declared.  
  
"Good...good." Lucius said and turned around to face Draco.  
  
"F...F...Father?" Draco stuttered.  
  
"It's nice to see you, Draco." Lucius smirked. "Come here, boy."  
  
Draco didn't move an inch.  
  
"You can't control me." He breathed.  
  
"You think so?" Lucius said, a sparkle in his eye. He snapped his fingers and Hermione grabbed Draco's arm.  
  
"Hermione...ow...what are you..." Draco tried to pull himself loose, but Hermione was too strong. Draco knew that if she hadn't been controlled by his father, she wouldn't be this strong.  
  
Hermione dragged Draco over to Lucius and threw him at Lucius. Lucius grabbed his son's arm and lifted it up.  
  
"No...father...no..." Draco pleaded, his voice cracking. Lucius grabbed Draco's left wrist and pushed up Draco's robe sleeve, revealing something like a vivid red tattoo. It was a skull with a snake sticking out of its mouth...it was the Dark Mark.  
  
Lucius pressed a finger into the mark on Draco's arm, causing it to burn with pain. Draco cringed and pulled away.  
  
"I did not ask for this father!" He screamed, grabbing his wrist which the mark upon it was now jet black. "You forced me to! I didn't want to...you did this to me! You horrible, insensitive, controlling bastard!" Draco shrieked.  
  
"How dare you speak to me in such a way!" Lucius spat. "So it is true that I forced you to become a Death Eater...but that still makes you one!"  
  
"Liar! It was forced upon me unwillingly, so I am not truly a Death Eater!" Draco yelled, but sounding more like he was begging.  
  
There was a silence and Hermione snapped out of the Imperious Curse. She looked over in a chair next to her and saw that Ginny was stirring. She tiptoed over to her and stood next to her while Draco and Lucius yelled at each other.  
  
"The mark on your wrist proves that you are a Death Eater, Draco." Lucius said, calmly.

"I can't believe you! You would do this to your own son; force him to become a Death Eater! You only did it to make your own dream come true! For me to follow in your footsteps! Well I don't want to follow you...I hate you!" Draco shrieked.  
  
"Draco..." Lucius said warningly, but Draco interrupted.  
  
"You do know that because of your foolish decision to force me into becoming a Death Eater that we are connected forever?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Lucius said, terror striking him for the first time ever.  
  
"Since you were the one to force your own reluctant son to become a Death Eater, our lives are connected forever." Draco responded, sounding as if he had blackmail on his father.  
  
"Our lives our linked forever?" Lucius asked tensely.  
  
Draco nodded his head. "But only through hate."  
  
Lucius slowly reached into his robes and grasped his wand. He pointed his wand at Draco.  
  
"Father?" Draco said, seeing his own parent lift their wand up and point it at him. Draco began to get frightened. "Father?" he repeated. "Don't please...please don't...father...dad? Daddy?" He pleaded.  
  
"Crucio!" Lucius yelled, and Draco fell to the ground, his body struggling with the pain.  
  
Lucius let Draco be tortured for a few moments. When he stopped the curse, he walked over and tied Draco up to a chair. He walked over to Hermione and took the Invisibility Cloak from her. He tied her up in a chair near Draco's and left with Harry's cloak.  
  
Hermione was left there with Ginny, who was half unconscious and tied in chair, and Draco who was lifeless in yet another chair.  
  
"Draco? Draco? Are you alive? Please be alive..." Hermione asked and beginning to cry. She kept repeating over and over again until he would respond. She didn't want Draco to be dead. She didn't want to witness his death...Hermione prayed and prayed that he would still be alive...and then...  
  
"Hermione?" Draco moaned, turning his head to look at her.  
  
"Oh my gosh, Draco! You're alive! We're alive!"  
  
"Yes...but not for long."  
  
"What do you mean?" Hermione sniffled.  
  
"I can feel it coming."  
  
"Feel...feel what?"  
  
"Death." Draco muttered.  
  
"Death? Draco...you...you can't die." Hermione begged.  
  
"I don't know if I will be the one dying though...I can just feel it..." Draco said wearily.  
  
"Feel...death?" Hermione stuttered.  
  
"Hermione..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You're going to die."  
  
There was a pause.  
  
"Well yes I'm going to die...eventually." Hermione said, hoping Draco was just joking, even though this wasn't a funny joke.  
  
"No, you're going to die...today."  
  
"Draco...stop scaring me."  
  
"I'm sorry if I scared you."  
  
"Draco...how do you know that I'm going to die? Besides...being able to feel it..."  
  
"He's...he's...going to kill you..." Draco said slowly.  
  
"Who? Who's he?" Hermione replied, starting to cry again.  
  
"He...he..." Draco dozed off.  
  
"Draco...Draco? DRACO!?" Hermione shrieked. She wanted to run over to Draco and wake him up, but she was tied in too tight.  
  
Hermione cried softly to herself, wondering if what Draco said was true. After about a half an hour of being alone, Hermione could hear footsteps; someone was coming! Or maybe it was just Lucius again. Hermione turned her head to see who it was.  
  
Hermione turned her head just in time to see the person walk into the Shack. The person was holding a dagger in their hand. The person was...Harry Potter.  
  
........  
  
_**A/N:** **Please Review!** This isn't the end! Only 5 more chapters to go! I'll post them when I have the time!_


	14. Sweet Revenge

_**Disclaimer:** Credit goes to JK Rowling...(and a few other companies, people, etc. who probably own a little bit of The Boy Who Lived...)  
  
**A/N:** This was my first fanfic **EVER**. I wrote this about two years ago, WAAAAY before OOTP, so there are a lot of things that won't fit in with canon. My writing was horrible, and I switched back and forth between plot lines...but I still think this is a pretty darn good story. However, it is the only thing I have EVER completed in all the fanfics I've ever tried to write...so I thought I'd just post it online...It is a love triangle sort of thing...Hermione likes Harry, Ron, and there's some Draco in there too...so if you don't like this...then don't read it... Well, enjoy my **REALLY** old fanfic...  
  
**Chapter Fourteen - Sweet Revenge**_  
  
"Harry!" Hermione gasped. "Can you untie me?" She asked desperately. Harry, however, just stood there, smirking. "Harry?" Hermione asked again, but he just stood there, with a sick, twisted smile on his face. Hermione's eyes strayed down to the dagger he was holding in his hand.  
  
........  
  
"_I'll get you some other time, Hermione. Then and only then will you get what you deserve."_  
  
........  
  
His words came flooding back to Hermione. She closed her eyes and gulped. She didn't take Harry seriously when he had said that...was he going to...kill her?  
  
She heard his footsteps as he crossed the room and opened her eyes. Harry was bending down next to Draco's chair, making sure that he was still tied up. Harry mumbled something and stood up, looking over at Hermione.  
  
"You ready?" He croaked.  
  
"Ready for what?" She snapped back.  
  
Harry laughed cruelly. "To die." He responded, twirling the dagger threateningly between his fingers. Hermione just determinedly stared back at Harry, refusing to blink.  
  
"Revenge will be sweet." Harry muttered.  
  
........  
  
Just an hour before, Harry had been sitting quietly next to the fire in his common room. Then without warning, the Portrait Hole swung open. Harry looked up from the book he was reading to see who was coming in the room. Harry just stared suspiciously at the open door waiting for whoever was going to come. But no one ever came.  
  
Harry shivered as he felt the cold air from the outside corridor rush into the Common Room through the Portrait Hole. He shook his head and went back to reading his book. Out of nowhere Harry was hit in the back of his head and fell foreword and off the couch.  
  
"Who's there?!" Harry asked, looking around him wildly to see who hit him.  
  
"Crucio!" Someone yelled from behind the couch.  
  
Harry was hit with the spell and writhed on the ground, grabbing the lightning bolt scar on his forehead which was searing with pain.  
  
There was a high cold laugh and Lucius Malfoy uncovered himself from the Invisibility Cloak he was wearing, still holding his wand up in front of him.  
  
........  
  
Harry was still twirling the dagger in his fingers, staring at Hermione with a look of relish. Harry crossed the room and stood in front of Hermione and bent down to look her in the eye, barely an inch away from her face.  
  
"How do you want to die?" Harry breathed.  
  
"Get away from me." Hermione responded through gritted teeth.  
  
Harry smirked. "Slow and painful it is." He stood up straight again and looked over at Draco's chair. Draco was stirring, he was waking up.  
  
Hermione saw him waking and panicked.  
  
"Draco! Help!" She shrieked, trying to get his attention.  
  
"Mummy?" Draco murmured randomly. "Where are we?"  
  
"Draco! Harry's going to kill me! You have to help...you knew I was going to die—"  
  
Harry slapped Hermione to make her shut up.  
  
"Close that mouth of yours you silly little girl!" Harry yelled. Hermione grabbed her face where he hit her. She began sobbing.  
  
"Harry...please...think about what you're doing."  
  
"I've had enough time to think. You only deserve it. It's for your own good."  
  
"Harry...please...have mercy..."  
  
Harry slapped Hermione again.  
  
"Lord help me..." Hermione began to pray.  
  
Harry began muttering something under his breath that Hermione couldn't hear and Draco was still delirious.  
  
Harry bent down and untied the ropes that were binding Hermione to her chair. She fell to the ground, sobbing. For one fleeting instant, Hermione thought she should run for it, but was too weak to even stand up.  
  
After a few moments, there were footsteps coming from the tunnel leading into the Shrieking Shack. The echoes of the footsteps became louder and louder until finally Ron burst into the room, panting and clutching a stitch in his side.  
  
"MALFOY, STOP!" Ron bellowed when he got into the Shack. He looked over and saw Draco tied up in a chair, Hermione lying on the floor, sobbing, and Harry standing over Hermione with a dagger. "MALFOY, NO!"  
  
But Ron was too late. Harry stabbed Hermione in the abdomen and then removed the dagger from her bleeding, dying body. She didn't scream, she didn't moan, she just held her stomach and stopped crying.  
  
"HERMIONE!" Ron cried and ran up to Hermione and held her in his arms.  
  
And in that moment, Hermione's life flashed before her eyes. The memories rushed back to her, like water running from a waterfall. She remembered her childhood, getting her Hogwarts letter, and meeting Ron and Harry. She remembered her first year at Hogwarts and their adventures with the Sorcerer's Stone. She remembered her second year at Hogwarts and worrying about the Chamber of Secrets. She remembered her third year and how stressful that year was for her. She remembered her fourth year and how complicated and confusing it was for her with the Triwizard Tournament going on. She remembered the past year and all its events. She remembered her first kiss, and her first love. She remembered all the mistakes she made. She remembered all her bad choices and all her bad memories. But most of all, she remembered her friends. And she remembered her one true love...  
  
Hermione opened her eyes again and saw the truth: the cold, cruel world. And in that split second that Hermione opened her eyes, everything would change forever. Her life was slowly ticking away...thirty seconds to live....twenty seconds to live...ten seconds to live...  
  
Hermione couldn't really pay attention to the people around her, she was quickly fading away. There was no light, there was no darkness...there was just...death. Hermione Granger died in Ron's arms that night; and a bit of Ron Weasley died with her...  
  
........  
  
_**A/N:** Again...this is not the end! Only 4 more chapters to go! **Please Review!**_


	15. The Truth

_**Disclaimer:** Credit goes to JK Rowling...(and a few other companies, people, etc. who probably own a little bit of The Boy Who Lived...)  
  
**A/N**: This was my first fanfic EVER. I wrote this about two years ago, WAAAAY before OOTP, so there are a lot of things that won't fit in with canon. My writing was horrible, and I switched back and forth between plot lines...but I still think this is a pretty darn good story. However, it is the only thing I have EVER completed in all the fanfics I've ever tried to write...so I thought I'd just post it online...It is a love triangle sort of thing...Hermione likes Harry, Ron, and there's some Draco in there too...so if you don't like this...then don't read it... Well, enjoy my REALLY old fanfic...  
  
**Chapter Fifteen - The Truth**_  
  
Just minutes before...Ron was walking back up to the Common Room from a walk when he found the Portrait Hole wide open. He ran inside but saw that it was deserted and quite peaceful actually. Then he saw Harry laying unconscious on the floor in front of the couch.  
  
Since Ron and Harry had fought the night before and earlier that morning, Ron decided not to do anything about it; Harry wasn't his problem anymore. But after a while, Ron started to think about it, and it was starting to bother him that Harry was still unconscious. Did he faint? Was he attacked? The thoughts ran through Ron's mind and he began to get worried. Everyone had been acting very oddly today...  
  
"Harry? Harry! Wake up!" Ron shouted as he ran over towards Harry and shook him to wake him up. "Harry...what happened? Harry!"  
  
Harry groaned and rolled over, clutching his scar which still prickled with pain after the Cruciatus Curse had been performed on him only moments before. Ron shook Harry harder.  
  
"Harry, what happened to you? Why are you holding your scar? What happened?!"  
  
"Ron...it was...him..." Harry muttered, barely moving his lips.  
  
"Who's him?" Ron asked impatiently.  
  
"Malfoy." Harry said simply.  
  
"Malfoy?!" Ron responded. "That git..." he mumbled under his breath. Ron thought Harry was talking about Draco, not Lucius. The thought never entered Ron's mind that it could be Lucius.  
  
Ron helped Harry stand up. "Here, I've got some restorative draft in my trunk upstairs...I'll go get it for you." Ron said and ran off up the dormitory steps. When Ron stepped inside, he strolled over to his trunk and opened it up. While he was rummaging through his things, he couldn't help but notice the Marauder's Map was still laying on Harry's bed. Ron walked over to Harry's bed and picked up the tattered, old, blank parchment. He took out his wand and pointed it at the concealed map.  
  
"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good!" Ron said roughly and the map began redrawing the lines that made the outline of Hogwarts. Ron scanned the map to see where Draco was, wondering where he could have run off to after he attacked Harry. He looked down at the bottom of the map where the grounds near the Forbidden Forest were and what Ron saw made his jaw drop.  
  
"Oh dear..." He thought aloud. He dropped the map out of shock, and completely forgetting about the restorative draft, Ron ran out of the room and skipped every other step down the stairs and back into the Common Room.  
  
Harry was now sitting on the couch, with his hands over his face, his elbows resting on his knees.  
  
"Harry! I think I've just understood something! Come with me!" Ron bellowed, and grabbed Harry's arm to help him up and make him follow him.  
  
Ron practically dragged Harry down to the grounds outside and over to the Whomping Willow. Ron prodded the knot at the bottom of the trunk with a stick and helped Harry down into the long, narrow tunnel.  
  
They began running as fast as their feet would allow. Harry kept asking over and over what they were doing but all Ron could say was, "Hermione's in trouble!" After a while, Harry grew tired and had to stop for a break. Ron impatiently stopped with him but after a few minutes, Ron grew anxious and decided to leave Harry behind.  
  
Ron began to get a cramp in his side but he just ran on, knowing that his best friend, and the one he loved was in trouble. He could hear faint voices coming from the Shack ahead, until finally, he burst into the room. And seeing the sight that was before him, only one thing came to mind: stop him from killing Hermione.  
  
"MALFOY, STOP!" he bellowed. "MALFOY, NO!" but he was too late. Hermione was stabbed, and Ron ran over to her and held her in his arms.  
  
Ron silently sobbed while he was trying to stop her bleeding. He knew it wouldn't work, and that it was inevitable that she would now die, but he couldn't give up on her...he couldn't give up on true love.  
  
Harry stood over Hermione's dead body, still holding the blood- stained dagger, laughing manically.  
  
Ron was still holding Hermione in his arms and looked up at Harry with intense hatred. His eyes were bloodshot and his face was pale from shock.  
  
"I'm going to tear you..." Ron said through gritted teeth, "limb from limb..." he breathed in sharply and looked down at Hermione's body as if looking for support; then he looked back up at Harry again, "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO!" Ron yelled. Harry, however, just laughed crazily.  
  
Ron awkwardly laid Hermione's body down onto the floor and stood up in front of Harry. "YOU KILLED HER! YOU KILLED HER! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" He shouted.  
  
Harry still laughed hysterically.  
  
Draco was now fully awake in his chair across the room and was surveying the sight before him with great big eyes. The full effect of what had just happened was sinking in for him. He saw Hermione's body and began crying. He couldn't believe his eyes.  
  
Then, after a moment of silence broken only by the soft laughter from Harry, and the wheezing sobs coming from both Draco and Ron; Harry (the one in the tunnel) came tiptoeing into the room. He stopped dead in his tracks when he looked up and saw Draco and Ron crying, Hermione dead on the floor, and...his own self staring back at him, laughing maniacally.  
  
"Wha...what's going on here?" Harry stuttered, not taking his eyes off of the other Harry.

Draco looked confused but continued to sob, the other Harry kept laughing, Ron however, was the only one who looked as if he understood what was going on.  
  
"It's...it's...M-M-Malfoy." Ron responded, trying to suppress a fresh wave of tears.  
  
"Malfoy?" Harry queried, and pointed a finger at Draco.  
  
"No...him." Ron answered.  
  
There was a silence and Harry woked out what Ron meant.  
  
"You don't mean..." Harry said, his eyes widening with shock.  
  
"Y-y-yes..." Ron moaned piteously.  
  
"Lucius?" Harry asked, looking over at the other Harry who was still holding the dagger.  
  
The other Harry opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. His hair was slowly turning to silvery blonde and was growing longer by the second. He was also growing taller and his shoulders broadened as he slowly transformed back into his normal self.  
  
"That's right." Lucius croaked after returning to normal.  
  
Harry checked his watch; it had been exactly an hour ago that Lucius attacked him in the Common Room. Harry reached up and flattened his hair against his head and felt a little spot where a bit of hair was missing from his scalp. Harry suddenly realized what was going on.  
  
"Polyjuice Potion?" Harry questioned, his eyes as big as golf balls. He obviously still couldn't believe what was going on.  
  
"Very good, Potter." Lucius smiled weakly.  
  
Harry felt the anger well up inside of him. He slowly reached inside his robes and grasped his wand. He whipped it out real fast and pointed it at Lucius.  
  
"STUPEFY!" Harry yelled. A jet of red light flew out of Harry's wand and hit Lucius square in the chest. Lucius fell to the ground with a slight thud. Harry was not the only one to attack Lucius; both Ron and Draco had their wands out still pointing at Lucius.  
  
Harry slowly lowered his wand and looked down at Hermione's dead body. He shed a single tear knowing that Hermione had certainly thought he had been the one to attack her before she died. Sure Harry was angry at Hermione and had fought with her the night before. But he didn't mean what he had said.  
  
........  
  
_"I'll get you some other time, Hermione. Then and only then will you get what you deserve."_  
  
........  
  
Harry remembered his words to Hermione and felt extremely remorseful. It was all his fault that Hermione was dead.  
  
........  
  
**_A/N: Please Review!_**


	16. Sacrifice

_**Disclaimer:** Credit goes to JK Rowling...(and a few other companies, people, etc. who probably own a little bit of The Boy Who Lived...)  
  
**A/N:** This was my first fanfic EVER. I wrote this about two years ago, WAAAAY before OOTP, so there are a lot of things that won't fit in with canon. My writing was horrible, and I switched back and forth between plot lines...but I still think this is a pretty darn good story. However, it is the only thing I have EVER completed in all the fanfics I've ever tried to write...so I thought I'd just post it online...It is a love triangle sort of thing...Hermione likes Harry, Ron, and there's some Draco in there too...so if you don't like this...then don't read it... Well, enjoy my REALLY old fanfic...  
  
**Chapter Sixteen - Sacrifice  
**_  
Lucius woke up gagged and tied to a table leg. He looked over and saw Hermione's body laying on the floor and Harry, Ron, and Draco on the other side of the room, bending over Ginny, who had been unconscious for the past couple of hours. Lucius attempted to reach his wand in his cloak but only to find that it had been removed. He grunted and accidentally drew attention to himself.  
  
Draco looked over his shoulder at the sound of his father. "Ah...my father is awake." He said in a tone that clearly meant that he wished he were still out cold.  
  
"Hit him over the head again, we need more time." Harry said without turning around.  
  
"Nah, we need to get the truth out of him first, I need some answers." Draco stated and stood up. He walked over to his father to speak to him. The closer Draco got to Lucius, the more he could tell that Draco's eyes were bloodshot, probably from crying.  
  
Draco smacked Lucius upside the head and grabbed his hair, jerking his head around so he would have to look at him.  
  
"I think some Veritaserum will force you to tell the truth...what do you think?" Draco sneered at his father while taking a crystal clear bottle out of his robes. He forced his mouth open and poured the potion down his throat. After a few seconds, his eyes went strangely blank and his head lolled onto his shoulder. Draco looked back at Harry and Ron, and the newly awake Ginny and then turned back to his father.  
  
"Why did you kill Hermione?"  
  
Immediately Lucius spoke, "The Mudblood was interfering with my plans for my son, Draco to become a faithful Death Eater and to become Lord Voldemort's right hand man."  
  
There was a silence, and Draco spoke again, "Why would you force your only son to become a Death Eater against his will?"  
  
"When I joined the Death Eaters, I was very ambitious, too ambitious really. I was determined to be Voldemort's most dedicated servant. But I failed tremendously. My dream was punctured. When my son was born, I knew that it was my second chance to be devoted to my Lord. I raised my son in a way that certainly Lord Voldemort would appreciate. I raised Draco to hate Mudbloods, and half-bloods, and anyone who associated with them. I taught him Dark Arts and I tried my best to raise my son so that he could follow in my footsteps and instead, becoming even more powerful than myself. When Voldemort had returned once again, he asked me to recruit more servants. I knew it was time for my son to become a Death Eater since it is what his whole life has been destined to end up. My son was very reluctant and I had to put the Imperious Curse on him to force him to become a Death Eater. When my son awoke and felt the Dark Mark burn on his left wrist, he was most upset with me. He threatened to run away and even kill himself. I must admit, I felt guilty for the first time in my raising Draco, but I shook it off and celebrated with the fact that my dream was now a reality and Draco was certain to become my Lord's most dedicated servant."  
  
Lucius fell silent and his head fell onto his shoulders once again. There was a tense hush in the Shack. No one knew what to do or what to say.  
  
After a few minutes of silence, Ginny sat up and looked over at Lucius. She had a sudden idea. Ron put an arm out to stop her from getting up.  
  
"You need to rest." He whispered.  
  
"No, you'll see..." Ginny said in a soft voice. She slowly stood up and made her way over to where Draco was kneeling and bent down next to him, and faced Lucius.  
  
Draco looked over at Ginny and opened his mouth to ask what she was doing, but Ginny put her finger to her lips and shook her head and looked back at Lucius.  
  
She drew in a breath and closed her eyes, thinking real hard. She opened them back up and said in a clear, confident voice, "Is there a way to bring Hermione back from the dead?"  
  
Harry, Ron, and Draco all looked up at her quickly, their hearts thumping madly, hoping, praying, that there was a way to bring her back.  
  
Lucius opened his mouth and then paused. It was not like the other questions when he would answer immediately; it seemed to be that he was thinking. After what seemed an eternity, he opened his mouth again and uttered one simple word.  
  
"No."  
  
Harry, Ron, and Draco all were devastated, their only hope was shattered. The Lucius spoke again, "But there is a way to bring her back, it would be of course, unbearable to...the person that..." he trailed off.  
  
"How?" Draco blurted, his eyes widening; maybe there was hope...  
  
"The Sacrifice Spell." Lucius retorted, his eyes starting to get their color back in them again. Their time was running out, the Veritaserum was fading away. They had to get their answers quickly.  
  
"What do you mean, it would be _unbearable_ for someone...?" Ginny asked frightfully.  
  
"It would involve the sacrifice of someone. That person would have to surrender their life in place of the one they are trying to bring back from the dead." Lucius responded.  
  
Harry, Ron, Draco, and Ginny all looked back at each other in stunned silence. Then Ron turned to Lucius and murmured, "You mentioned someone...you said 'the person that...'" Ron broke off. "The person that...what?"  
  
"In order for the Spell to work, the one who must sacrifice themselves to bring back the dead, must be the one whom the deceased person was their first love." Lucius managed to say before going rigid and his head drooped onto his shoulders.  
  
Again, they went silent. The four of them looked at each other in silence. Without even saying it, they knew that they had to bring Hermione back. She didn't deserve to die. But...the problem was figuring out who she loved.  
  
"Who did Hermione say was her true love?" Ron asked the others quietly.  
  
"Ron...didn't you hear him? He didn't say true love...he said_ first_ love." Ginny reprimanded.  
  
"Oh...yeah...right." Ron said, trying not to look over at Hermione's body...he wasn't sure if he'd be able to accept the sight before him.  
  
The four of them sat there in silence trying to figure out who was Hermione's first love. Lucius was in the corner, still tied to the table leg, but now he was conscious again, and he was trying to free himself, though he was doing no good.  
  
Ron strained his thoughts so hard, he wanted Hermione back so much, even if it meant he would have to be the one to give up his life for her...she didn't deserve to die. He ran over in his head the events of the past year. Finally, he came to a stop at the Yule Ball. Ron remembered that she went to the Ball with him...but something wasn't right...  
  
"Draco." Ron accidentally said aloud.  
  
Draco looked up at the sound of his name. "What?"  
  
"Draco." Ron repeated.  
  
Draco was getting frustrated. "What?!"  
  
"It's you."  
  
"Me...what?"  
  
"You were her first love." Ron said simply.  
  
Ginny slapped her hand to her head as if she finally understood. Harry looked quizzically over at Ron, but Ron stared determinedly at Draco, who stared right back.  
  
"Me? No, no, no. You see, I wasn't her first love. Surely...one of _you_ two were her first love. I mean...she hated me until this year...you two had plenty of time together with her to---"  
  
Ron cut him off. "You changed Hermione even though none of us realized it at the time. Now that I look back on it, it's obvious she was in love with you." Ron said briskly. "_And_ you gave Hermione her first kiss..._it all makes sense_."  
  
"But what about Harry?" Ginny said uneasily, averting her eyes from Harry's gaze. "Hermione really, really liked Harry the beginning of this year..."  
  
"No...she didn't love me." Harry replied uncomfortably. "It was only a crush...I wouldn't call it any more than that..."  
  
"But---"  
  
"It all makes sense that it would be Draco." Ron interrupted, motioning towards Draco. "Just put the clues together, Ginny, it was obvious." Ginny thought about it for a minute and then just nodded her head, and looked over at Draco.  
  
Draco just shook his head, looking over at Hermione's body. "I...I...I can't have been her...her...f-f-first...love" He stuttered.  
  
Everyone was silent, then Harry stood up and started rolling up his sleeves and got his wand out of his robes. "Well let's do it." He said grimly.  
  
Draco sighed and then nodded, and stood up as well. Ron and Ginny followed suit. They looked over nervously at Harry and Draco and then suddenly, they realized.  
  
"We don't know how to do it...do we?" Ron said, slightly laughing at how stupid they had been.  
  
Draco looked back at his father. "How do we perform the Sacrifice Spell?" He demanded.  
  
Lucius laughed, and surprisingly he answered truthfully without being forced to. "It's highly advanced magic, and it requires...er...a touch of the Dark Arts background. None of you would be able to do it."  
  
"_Try us_." Ginny said through gritted teeth, clutching her wand tightly.  
  
Lucius surveyed her with narrow eyes and then looked back up at his son. "If you let me go...I'll do it for you." He said with a twisted smile.  
  
Draco glared down at his father then turned around to face the other three. After opening his mouth and closing it back a few times, he struggled to get the words out. "We have to trust him." He said, though sounded more like he was pleading.  
  
"Do you think we're stupid?" Harry retorted.  
  
"Well, how else are we going to bring her back?!" Draco said, motioning towards Hermione's body.  
  
Harry hung his head and thought hard. He looked back up at Draco and said, "Fine, but if he gets away, it's all your fault."  
  
"HARRY, NO WAY!" Ginny exclaimed. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"  
  
Harry frowned, "It's our only choice." Draco bent down when Harry said this and started to untie his father.  
  
"Leave him tied up." Ron interrupted.  
  
"Wha?" Harry asked.  
  
"Just loosen it a little so he can hold his wand and do the Spell...but don't untie him completely." Ron said, barely moving his lips.  
  
Draco looked back hatefully at Ron. "Do you think I'm stupid? That's what I was doing." He drawled.  
  
"Well, how was I supposed to know?" Ron retorted.  
  
"Just shut up and let me untie him!"  
  
"I thought you were just going to loosen--"  
  
"Just do it already!" Ginny interjected.  
  
Draco rolled his eyes and turned back around; Ron folded his arms and sulked.  
  
"Well do you want to do this or not?" Ginny asked Ron in a low voice.  
  
Ron looked over at Hermione's body and then back at Ginny, "Of course" He mouthed.  
"There." Draco said when he loosened up the ropes enough. He thrust Lucius' wand into his hand. "Well, ok, I'm ready." He said, swinging his arms to the side and looking at his father.  
  
Lucius, again, laughed; that high, cold, cruel, laugh. "You need to kill yourself first."  
  
"What?" Draco asked.  
  
Lucius nodded over to the forgotten dagger laying on the floor close to Hermione. "First you kill yourself the same way that the person you are trying to bring back to life died. Then I perform the spell, and then...I guess you two will switch spots."  
  
"What do you mean, _'you guess'_?" Draco demanded.  
  
"I've never actually performed this Spell before, but I have seen it done, I'm only guessing that you two will...er...switch spots."  
  
"And what if it goes wrong?"  
  
"Then I guess there will be one less person on this earth that I will need to worry about." Lucius said, smiling cruelly.  
  
Draco looked over at Hermione and then back at Harry, Ron, and Ginny. "If anything goes wrong, I want you to swear to me that you will kill this bastard, I don't care what the circumstances are. If Hermione does not come back from the dead, then you kill him. Understood?"  
  
The three of them nodded their heads and watched as Draco crossed the room and over to Hermione.  
  
He bent down on the floor next to her and kissed her forehead, which was still, miraculously, warm.  
  
He picked up the dagger and then looked over at Lucius. "Well, I guess this is goodbye, father." Lucius just snarled and lifted his wand high, ready to perform the Spell.  
  
Draco looked over at Harry, Ron, and Ginny "I'm truly sorry for whatever hell I've given to you these past years. Thank you for everything." Harry just nodded and returned to look at his shoelaces, which had become suddenly fascinating. It was obvious Harry didn't want to watch Draco kill himself. Ron squeaked something out that sounded like a "good luck" and Ginny, who had burst into tears, just nodded as well.  
  
Draco muttered something under his breath, obviously not intended for Harry, Ron, or Ginny to hear, but they did hear it. "Everyone keeps getting hurt because of me...if I'm gone, then the pain will go away..."  
  
Draco closed his eyes and poised the dagger right over his heart and just waited for a few seconds, then said, "This is for _you_, Hermione..."  
  
........  
  
It was hard to tell what was going on. There was so much confusion in the Shack in the few seconds that Draco killed himself and Lucius performed the Spell.  
  
Harry seemed to be the only calm one in the room. Ron was moaning and muttering something about wanting to run far away; Ginny had burst into tears and was sobbing with her hands covering her face; Draco was crying out in pain, and Lucius...Lucius was crying out in pain as well...  
  
Harry looked over right as Draco fell to the ground, clutching his chest, blood everywhere. Harry made out something on Draco's wrist...the Dark Mark. It was glowing red...burning hot. Harry looked over at Lucius and saw his wrist, also glowing red and burning hot. Harry's scar seared with pain and it felt as though an axe had been forced into his head, splitting it in half. Harry grabbed his forehead and fell down to the ground.  
  
........  
  
_**A/N:**_ _Please Review!_


	17. In A World Of Their Own

_**Disclaimer:** Credit goes to JK Rowling...(and a few other companies, people, etc. who probably own a little bit of The Boy Who Lived...)  
  
**A/N:** This was my first fanfic EVER. I wrote this about two years ago, WAAAAY before OOTP, so there are a lot of things that won't fit in with canon. My writing was horrible, and I switched back and forth between plot lines...but I still think this is a pretty darn good story. However, it is the only thing I have EVER completed in all the fanfics I've ever tried to write...so I thought I'd just post it online...It is a love triangle sort of thing...Hermione likes Harry, Ron, and there's some Draco in there too...so if you don't like this...then don't read it... Well, enjoy my REALLY old fanfic...  
  
**Chapter Seventeen - In A World Of Their Own**_  
  
"So this is death?" Draco asked himself. He looked around and he seemed to be outside of himself. He was in the Shrieking Shack watching him stab himself, watching Ginny crying, Ron moaning, Harry falling to the ground, clutching his scar, and his father screaming in pain. He tiptoed over and reached out an arm and slowly touched his father's arm, then what happened next seemed to come out of nowhere, there was a blinding flash of light and Lucius was standing next to Draco, and together they watched what was happening in the Shack. It seemed that Lucius had died too.  
  
"Father?" Draco said, looking up at his father, who was standing next to him. Lucius nodded and put his hand on Draco's shoulder, and then they disappeared from the Shack. They were back inside their mansion, though they were still watching from the outside.  
  
Draco watched as his mother, Narcissa, walked into his bedroom to tuck Draco in, he must have only been five or six years old.  
  
........  
  
"Mummy, can't I wait for daddy to come home?" Draco asked.  
  
"No hunny, you need to sleep, it's already past your bedtime and tomorrow's a big day for you...with your birthday party and all." Narcissa said and kissed his forehead.  
  
"But mummy..."  
  
"I'm sorry, Draco." Narcissa said sweetly and blew out the candles lighting the room. She was about to close the door behind her when Draco spoke again.  
  
"Why does he always have to work late, I never see him anymore." He said, starting to tear up.  
  
Narcissa stopped in her tracks and turned around, "You know he has to work a lot to get his reputation back up with the Ministry. He did a lot of bad things a few years ago so he has to gain their trust again, you know that."  
  
"I do, mummy, but does that mean he has no time for me?"  
  
Narcissa looked as if she were about to cry herself, "Good night." She said and closed the door.  
  
Lucius looked down at Draco and grasped his shoulder harder. Lucius opened his mouth to say something but stopped when he saw the bedroom door open again.  
  
A ten year younger Lucius treaded softly across the floor and over to Draco's bed. It seemed that he was fast asleep, but then he sat up with a snap and said, "Daddy?"  
  
"Shh...Draco, your mother would be furious with me if she found out I woke you in the middle of the night." Lucius laughed, his voice warm and pleasant.  
  
Draco nodded his head and patted the bed next to him, motioning his father to sit down. Lucius first lit a single candle and then sat down next to his son with a book in his arms.  
  
"What's that?" Draco asked pointing at the book.  
  
"It's a story that I'm going to read to you." Lucius smiled, the candlelight flickering around the room. Draco grinned and sat up attentively, staring at his father, waiting for him to start.  
  
Lucius opened up the book and began to read a story to Draco, and when he was about halfway through, Draco nodded off to sleep and fell into his father's lap. Lucius slowly closed the book and held Draco in his arms.  
  
"I love you, Draco." Lucius whispered.  
  
"Mmm...daddy..." He mumbled in his sleep with a smile.

........  
  
Draco looked away from his old self and looked up at his father who was still holding his shoulder tightly.  
  
"Our happiest memory..." Draco beamed and Lucius nodded. Draco moved out of Lucius' grasp and then turned around and hugged him. Lucius, surprised by the sudden attack of a hug smiled and hugged his son back.  
  
"I really do love you, Draco."  
  
"I..." Draco sighed, "I love you too." Draco pulled out of the hug and looked up at his father, "How did you die?"  
  
"I knew all along that we would be linked forever by hate. When you told me, I lied and acted like I didn't know. I was mostly in shock that you would have been smart enough to figure out that we would be connected." Lucius replied, his smile fading.  
  
"But...then how did you..."  
  
"The only way for us to break the link is if one of us kills themselves and then that automatically kills the other since we were linked through hate."  
  
"I don't understand..."  
  
"You killed yourself, didn't you?"  
  
Draco nodded.  
  
"Well since we were linked, I died too..."  
  
Draco looked down at his wrist which the Dark Mark was now fading and was a light gray color. "You deserved it though..."  
  
Lucius hung his head, "Sadly, yes, I know I did...but you must understand..."  
  
"I understand enough...all I ever wanted to do is be more like me, and less of what you wanted me to be." Draco interrupted.  
  
While they were talking, they didn't notice that they had moved from their mansion and were now in the middle of nowhere. They were standing on a dirt road in a grassy plain, and just ahead there was a fork in the road.  
  
To the left, the fork led to a place with blue skies, grassy plains, and a faint sound of people singing. The fork to the right led to a place with thunderstorms, steep plateaus, and the muffled sound of screaming.  
  
Once Draco and Lucius reached the fork in the road, it was obvious which way they would go. They both started walking to the fork on the left, when suddenly Lucius started screaming out in agony. An invisible force pushed him away back to the fork in the road.  
  
"Father?!" Draco yelled, reaching out for his father. He started to run back to get him but there seemed to be an invisible wall holding him back. He watched as Lucius grimly got to his feet and slouched off down the road toward the thunderstorms and screaming.  
  
"NO! DADDY! NO!" Draco cried, but he had no choice but to walk on down his path, he had a mission, he had to find Hermione.  
  
........  
  
Before Draco had any time to even search for Hermione, there was a blinding flash of light and Hermione was standing next to him. Draco, gaping at the fact that he wasn't expecting it to be this easy, stared over at Hermione, who looked peacefully back at him.  
  
They were both standing in a grassy plain, next to a tall, bushy tree. The sun was shining, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Birds were chirping and flying around in the tree top.  
  
Hermione looked up captivatingly at the tree, unaware of Draco gazing at her.  
  
"I need to explain..." Draco said before realizing it.  
  
Hermione held up a hand to silence him and said, "I already know."  
  
He shook his head, "How?"  
  
She smiled serenely and looked back at him, "I've been watching."  
  
"Oh...so you know...that..." Draco trailed off.  
  
"Yep." Hermione nodded.  
  
"How do we...er...switch places then? Do you know?" Draco asked.  
  
"I'm not exactly sure...but what I do know is that we have exactly ten minutes to say or do anything we want, before the Spell is complete." Hermione said wearily.  
  
"Oh...ok...well..." Draco said, fidgeting around with his robes and staring at his feet. He didn't know what to say. These would be his last words to Hermione...  
  
Before they knew it...there was another flash of light and they appeared in a garden. They both immediately recognized it as the garden that was outside the Great Hall the night of the Yule Ball.  
  
Draco and Hermione watched in silence as they watched the memory of that night.  
  
........  
  
Draco led Hermione out into the gardens and sat her down on a bench next to a fountain. He sat down next to her and held her in his arms. They looked up at the stars in the sky.  
  
"What is all this about?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I've always wondered what it would be like..." He said softly. Hermione sat up and turned around to look at him.  
  
"What would what be like?" She said looking him in the eye, though he didn't look at her.  
  
Draco just sighed softly. "To be with one of God's angels..."  
  
"Aww, Draco..." Hermione shed a single tear. Draco looked down at Hermione and wiped the tear off her face. "I...I..." She began.  
  
He interrupted her. "Shh...don't speak." He put his finger on her lips, and Hermione closed her eyes. Draco leaned in and kissed her.  
  
.........  
  
Both Draco and Hermione were standing there awkwardly watching their own happiest memory together...they both knew what had happened next: Draco asked Hermione out, but she said no, and then Draco blew up in her face.  
  
The memory ended before it got to that part, they were now back on the grassy plain, standing alone by the tree.  
  
"Do you remember what happened next?" Draco whispered, tiptoeing closer over to Hermione.  
  
She hung her head and stared at the ground. "Yeah..."  
  
"I'm sorry for being that way..." Draco blurted. "It wasn't my fault."  
  
Hermione looked up real quick. "Wasn't your fault?" She asked disbelievingly.  
  
"I was under the Imperious Curse...by my father." Draco replied, inching closer to Hermione.  
  
"Look, forget it, ok? I forgive you for everything you've ever done. You've proven to me what really lies in your heart..."  
  
"You really forgive me?"  
  
Hermione nodded.  
  
"I'm really sorry." Draco said feeling guilty.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Draco. You've made the ultimate sacrifice just for me. Without you, I wouldn't be alive now...or really...in a few minutes...you gave up your life for me and for that I'm eternally grateful. You gave me life...when I should have been dead...thank you..." Hermione said, slightly smiling, with tears pouring down her face.  
  
Draco reached out and hugged her. "We'll be eternally linked by love."  
  
Hermione hugged him back and never wanted to let go. "Yes, yes...by _love_..." She sighed distractedly.  
  
They pulled out of their embrace and looked at each other. Hermione pointed down at the ground and said, "Knife."  
  
"What?"  
  
"There's a knife." She repeated jabbing her finger towards the ground. Draco looked down and there was a knife on the ground laying on a tree root. He grinned innocently and bent down and picked it up.  
  
"What are you going to do with it?" Hermione queried.  
  
"What it was put here for." He smiled. Hermione just shook her head and bent down next to him.  
  
Draco grasped the knife and etched something into the tree trunk, holding his other hand over it to hide it from Hermione's view. When he was done he pulled away to show her what he had done.  
  
He carved a heart with the initials **DM & HG** into the tree trunk.  
  
Hermione ran her fingers over the carved heart and over their initials and then looked back at Draco. She immediately noticed that Draco's outline was fading away, and she looked down at her own body and noticed it was getting clearer and clearer by the second...their time was up.  
  
Draco looked down at his own body and then surveyed Hermione's. When he realized what was happening he began to cry; but Hermione just smiled.  
  
"No! No, Hermione, I don't want to leave you...I want to be with you..." He begged.  
  
"Draco, thank you so much for letting me live." Hermione smiled, "Just promise me one thing..."  
  
"_Anything_." Draco responded quickly.  
  
"Watch over me..."  
  
Draco cried even harder and struggled to clear his eyes of tears to look into Hermione's eyes. "I will _always_..." he promised.  
  
Hermione just smiled peacefully and pulled Draco into another hug. Draco hugged back and cried gently onto her shoulder.  
  
There was a blinding flash of light that forced the two of them apart.  
  
Draco panicked and shouted into the light, "Hermione?"  
  
There was no response.  
  
"HERMIONE? HERMIONE!" Draco cried. "I LOVE YOU!"  
  
"I'll never forget you Draco, thank you..." Hermione replied softly, and she was gone.  
  
........  
  
_**A/N:** Next chapter is the last one! **PLEASE REVIEW!**_


	18. Eternally Linked By Love

_**Disclaimer:** Credit goes to JK Rowling...(and a few other companies, people, etc. who probably own a little bit of The Boy Who Lived...)  
  
**A/N:** Well this is it...the last chapter...enjoy..._

_  
  
**Chapter Eighteen - Eternally Linked By Love**_  
  
Hermione sat up, she was covered in blood, but she was breathing. She reached up and put her hand over her chest...her heart was beating: she was alive. She looked over and saw Draco's body, not too far away from her. She looked over and Lucius' body was tied up to a table leg, his wand fallen to the ground beside him. She looked across the room and Harry, Ron, and Ginny were all sitting in a circle, crying together, and comforting each other. Ginny looked over and saw Hermione was sitting up.  
  
"Oh my gosh...HERMIONE!" She exclaimed and got to her feet.  
  
Harry and Ron turned around instantly and saw that Hermione was alive. Harry immediately stood up and ran over to Hermione. He hugged her tightly and then let go.  
  
"Hermione...you're...you're..." He broke off, crying. Hermione nodded but she couldn't find the words to speak. Ginny then ran up to Hermione and hugged her, and she cried on Hermione's shoulder.  
  
"What happened?" Ginny asked. "Draco was gone for forever...we were starting to think it went wrong..."  
  
Hermione was choking with tears by now, but she stifled a sob and said, "We had ten minutes to do or say whatever we wanted before the Spell was complete."  
  
"And? What happened?!" Ginny asked, smiling now.  
  
But Hermione didn't really feel like talking about it. She wanted to keep it to herself...  
  
She contented herself by shaking her head and just saying, "Eternally linked by love..."  
  
Ginny just shook her head and looked over at Harry. She reached over and hugged him too. "She's alive! I don't believe it...she's alive!" she cried out.  
  
"I know! I know!" Harry replied and actually bent down and kissed Ginny he was so happy. Ginny pulled back out of shock and looked at Harry. He just smiled and pulled her close to him again. They kissed again, since there were no words to say.  
  
Hermione giggled and just shook her head, and then looked up at Ron who was watching her uncomfortably.  
  
Hermione looked back at him, not knowing what to do or say. Then Ron spoke,  
  
"So what do I do, when the one I love slips through my fingers like tiny grains of sand?"  
  
Hermione thought for a minute and then she laughed. "You build a sandcastle." She said with a smile.  
  
By now, Harry and Ginny had stopped snogging long enough to watch Ron and Hermione.  
  
"I...I...I d-don't understand." Ron stuttered, trying his hardest to fight back tears.  
  
"I know you don't, Ron." Hermione shook her head. "I've finally understood the meaning of life..." She cut herself off and thought for a moment. "Live like you'll die tomorrow...dream as if it will come true...get what you want yourself...stand up for what you believe in...don't be afraid to take risks..." Hermione laughed, "and dance like no one's watching..."  
  
"But I still don't understand...build a sandcastle?" Ron said, tears streaking down his freckled face.  
  
Hermione reached out and grabbed Ron's hand and held it in hers. She sighed and looked him in the eye, "Ron...I love you. I always have, and I always will. You were the one who was there for me, Ron. You were the only one to help me when I truly needed help. You never left my side. You never betrayed me. You were never anything less than my best friend. That's why I love you." Hermione smiled, but now she was crying again.  
  
Ron's lip trembled as he bent down and whispered in her ear, "I love you too, Hermione, and don't you ever forget that. I will always be there for you..."  
  
Hermione just looked up at him and into his deep chocolate brown eyes. Without actually realizing it, they both slowly leaned in, closed their eyes, and shared a soft kiss.  
  
And together the four of them made their way out of the Shrieking Shack; Harry and Ginny holding hands, and Ron and Hermione holding hands. They slowly trekked up the grounds and up to Dumbledore's office. They had a dead student and a dead man in the Shrieking Shack...they had to tell somebody.  
  
Dumbledore took care of the matters and told the truth to the school about Draco's death. After that, many students came rushing up to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny asking them what happened. But most people were fascinated with Hermione and how she came back to life. All Hermione ever said when people asked her about it was, 

"I'm just eternally linked by love."  
  
No one understood what she meant, not even Harry, Ron, or Ginny, but they didn't need to know. Some things you just need to keep to yourself...  
  
........  
  
_THE END_

__

........


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